m 


BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 

<• 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


ft 


ELDORADO, 


OR, 


ADVENTURES  IN  THE  PATH  OF  EMPIRE: 


COMPRISING 


A   VOYAGE   TO    CALIFORNIA,  VIA    PANAMA;   LIFE   IN   SAN   FRANCISCO 

AND  ?rONTEREY  ;  PICTURES  OF  THE  GOLD  REGION,  AND 

•2XPERIENCES    OF    MEXICAN    TRAVEL. 


B  Y 

BAYARD    TAYLOR, 

UT  JOR  OF    "  VIEWS   A-FOOT,"  **  RHYMES    OF  TRAVEL,"   ETC. 


EIGHTEENTH  EDITION. 


NEW  YOEK: 
P.   PUTNAM,    115    NASSAU-STREET, 

1859. 


Entered  according  to  Act  o(  Congress,  in  the  year  1850,  by 
BAYARD     TAYLOR, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of   the  District  Court  of  the  United  States   for  the   Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 


TO 

EDWARD  F.  BEALE,  LIEUT.,  U.  S.  N. 
THIS  WORK   IS  DEDICATED 

WITH 

THE    AUTHOR'S   ESTEEM    .AND    AFFECTION, 


PREFACE, 

THIS  work  requires  but  few  words  in  the  way  of  introduction. 
Though  the  author's  purpose  in  visiting  California  was  not  to  write 
a  book,  the  circumstances  of  his  journey  seemed  to  impose  it  upon 
him  as  a  duty,  and  all  his  observations  were  made  with  this  end  in 
view.  The  condition  of  California,  during  the  latter  half  of  the 
year  1849,  was  as  transitory  as  it  was  marvellous ;  the  records 
which  were  then  made  can  never  be  made  again.  Seeing  so  much 
that  was  worthy  of  being  described — so  many  curious  and  shifting 
phases  of  society — such  examples  of  growth  and  progress,  most 
wonderful  in  their  first  stage — in  a  word,  the  entire  construction 
of  a  new  and  sovereign  State,  and  the  establishment  of  a  great 
commercial  metropolis  on  the  Pacific  coast — the  author  suffered 
no  opportunity  to  pass,  which  might  qualify  him  to  preserve  their 
fleeting  images.  As  he  was  troubled  by  no  dreams  of  gold,  and 
took  no  part  in  exciting  schemes  of  trade,  he  has  hoped  to  give 
an  impartial  coloring  to  the  picture.  His  impressions  of  Califor 
nia  are  those  of  one  who  went  to  see  and  write,  aijd-  who  sought 


yili  PREFACE. 

to  do  both  faithfully.  Whatever  may  be  the  faults  of  his  work, 
he  trusts  this  endeavor  will  be  recognized. 

A  portion,  only,  of  the  pages  which  follow,  were  included  in  the 
original  letters  which  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  New-York 
Tribune.  Many  personal  incidents,  and  pictures  of  society  as  it 
then  existed  in  California,  noted  down  at  the  time,  have  been 
added,  and  a  new  form  given  to  the  materials  obtained.  The 
account  of  the  author's  journey  across  Mexico,  is  now  published 
for  the  first  time 

If,  when  a  new  order  of  things  has  been  established  and  what 
has  occurred  is  looked  upon  as  a  phenomenon  of  the  Past,  some 
of  these  pages  should  be  preserved  as  a  record  and  remembrance 
thereof,  the  object  of  this  work  will  be  fully  accomplished. 


CONTESTS 


PMI 

CHAPTER  I. 

From  New  York  to  Chagres— The  Shores  of  Florida— Night  in  Havana  Harbor- 
New  Orleans — Chagres  from  the  Sea 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Crossing  the  Isthmus— Quarrel  with  a  Native— The  Village  of  Oatun— Songs  on 
the  River— A  Priest's  Household— An  Affectionate  Boatman— Riding  Through 
the  Forests— We  Reach  Panama 11 

CHAPTER  III. 
Scenes  in  Panama — Emigrants  Arriving — Ruined  Churches 88 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Pacific  Coast  of  Mexico— Meal-time  on  the  Steamer— A  Midnight  Call  at 
Acapulco—The  Mexican  Coast— The  Old  Presidio  of  San  Bias— Touching  at 
Mazatlan 31 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Coast  of  California— A  Treacherous  Coast— Harbor  of  San  Diego— Narratives 
of  Emigration— Gen.  Villamil  and  his  Colony— The  Last  Day  of  the  Voyage— 
The  Anchor  Drops 43 

CHAPTER  VI. 

First  Impressions  of  San  Francisco — Appearance  of  the  Town— The  New-Comer'i 

Bewilderment — Indifferent  Shopkeepers — Street  Gold — People  in  Town 64 

1* 


CONTENTS. 


PAG  a 
CHAPTER  VII. 

To  the  San  Joaquin,  on  Muleback—  Scenery  of  the  Inland  —  Ranches  on  the  Road  — 
Colonel  Fremont—  A  Sonorian  Comrade—  Crossing  the  Coast  Range—  The  Mos- 
quitos  and  the  Ferry  ............................................  63 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Camp-Life  and  a  Ride  to  the  Diggings—  Stockton—  Rocky  Mountain  Men—  Fiery 
Travel  —  the  Mule's  Heart  —  Arrival  at  the  Diggings  .....................  76 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Diggings  on  Mokelumne  River—  Gold  in  the  River-Bed—  The  Sonorians— 
The  Process  of  Dry-  Washing—  Storks  of  the  Gold-Diggers—Cost  of  our  Visit..  .  84 

CHAPTER   X. 

A  Gallop  to  Stockton,  with  some  Words  on  Law  and  Society  —  Appropriating  a 
Horse  —  The  Californian  Horse  —  A  Flogging  Scene  in  Stockton  —  Law  and  Order 
—Moral  Effect  of  Gold  ............................................  94 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Night-Adventure  in  the  Mountains  —An  Unceremonious  Supper—  The  Trail 
Lost—  Second  View  of  San  Francisco  —  Col.  Fremont's  Mine  ...............  104 

CHAPTER  XII. 
San  Francisco  by  Day  and  Night—  The  Streets  after  Breakfast—  A  Bull-Chase— 


The  Afternoon—  The  Inside  of  a  Gaming-Hell 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Incidents  of  a  Walk  to  Monterey—  Fisher's  Ranche—  Agriculture  in  California— 
A  Mountain  Panorama—  Belated  on  the  Road—  The  Gila  Emigrants—  Monterey 
at  La"t  ......................................................  15.1 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Lifo  in  Monterey—  The  Fleas  Outwitted—  The  Growth  of  Monterey—  Domestic 
Life  and  Society—  Quiet  of  the  Town—  Population—  National  Feeling  in  Cali 


fornia   .  , 


CONTENTS. 


FAQI 
CHAPTER  XV. 

The  State  Organization  of  California— Steps  toward  Organization— The  Con 
vention  Meets— The  Question  of  Suffrage— Trouble  about  the  Boundary— The 
Great  Seal  of  the  State— Distinguished  Californians Uo 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Closing  Scenes  of  the  Convention— A  Bali-Room  Picture— Signing  the  Con- 
stitution— Gen.  Riley  and  the  Members— Moral  of  the  Convention 158 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Shore  and  Forest— Swimming  a  Ravine— Dinner  by  the  Sea-Shore—Geology  and 
Indian  Tradition — The  Sea-Lions  on  Point  Lobos 169 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Old  California — Its  Missions  and  its  Lands — Rise  of  the  Missions — Their  Downfall 
—Extent  of  the  Mission  Property— The  Law  for  Granting  Lands— Uncertain 
Boundary  of  Grants— Disposition  of  the  Gold  Land 179 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Return  to  San  Francisco — Journey  in  an  Ambulance — Night  and  Morning  in  tho 
Mountains— Fording  the  Pajaro  River— A  Sirocco  in  San  Jose— Night-Camp 
under  the  Oaks.  .  193 


CHAPTER  XX. 

San  Francisco  Again— Post  Office  Experiences— More  Statistics  of  Growth— An 
Ague  Case— Structure  of  the  Post  Office— Sounds  on  the  Portico— Increase  of 
Pay  Needed 263 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Sacramento  River  and  City— The  Straits  of  Carquinez— New-York-of-the-Pacifio 
—View  of  Sacramento  City— Its  Life  and  Business— Cattle  of  Experience- 
Sights  at  the  Horse  Market 


CONTENTS. 


PAQH 
CHAPTER   XXII. 

Travelling  on  the  Plains— Night,  Rain  and  a  Ranche— The  Nevada  at  Sunset— Prairie 
and  Wood  Craft— Among  the  Hills— A  Knot  of  Politicians 227 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Journey  to  the  Volcano— The  Forest  Trail— Camping  in  a  Storm— The  Volcanic  Com 
munity—Appearance  of  the  Extinct  Craters— The  Top  of  Polo's  Peak— Keturn  to 
theMokelumne 239 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Election  Scenes  and  Mining  Characters — Voting  on  the  Mokelumne — Incidents  of 
Digging— An  Englishman  in  Eaptures— "  Buckshot"— Quicksilver— My  own  Gold 
Digging 25T 

CHAPTER   XXV. 

The  Rainy  Season — The  Ferry — Deception  of  the  Diggers — Dry  Creek  and  Amador's 
Creek — A  Ranche  and  its  Inhabitants — A  Female  Specimen — A  Vision  Relin 
quished 260 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

Night  in  Sacramento  City— Perils  of  a  Stroll— The  City  Music— Ethiopian  Melodies 
— Californian  Theatre— Playing  the  Eavesdropper — Squatters'  Quarrels — Fate  of  my 
Mare 272 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Overland  Emigration  of  1849— Its  Character— The  Cholera  on  the  Plains— Salt 
Lake  City— The  Great  Basin— The  Nevada— Descent  of  the  Mountains— Apathy  in 
Peril— The  Close 280 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  Italy  of  the  West— Steam  on  the  Sacramento— The  Sunsets  of  California— A 
Company  of  Washmen— A  Voracious  Donkey— Attempt  at  Squatter  Life 292 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

San  Francisco  four  months  Later— Character  of  Business— Life  and  Society— Un 
fathomable  Mud— Streets  and  Men ...  am 


CONTENTS. 


PAGI 
CHAPTER   XXX. 

Society  in  California — The  Transformation  of  the  Emigran  t— The  Norsemen  Re- 
vived— The  Energies  of  Society— California  Democracy 810 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

Leaving  San  Francisco— A  German  Crew  and  Chilian  Schooner— "Weathering  a  South- 
Easter— The  Fire  on  Shore— We  put  back  in  Distress— The  Burnt  District— Stem 
ming  a  Flood  Tide— The  Steamer— Paso  del  Mar— Down  the  Coast 815 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Mazatlan— A  Chinese  Boniface— The  Streets  by  Night  and  Day— The  Atmosphere  of 
the  Gulf— Preparations  to  leave— Solemn  Warnings •. 826 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

Travel  in  the  Tierra  Caliente— Tropical  Winter— A  Lazy  Mule— Night  at  a  Ranche— 
A  "  Caminador" — Evening  at  a  Posada— Breakfast  in  El  Rosario— A  Jolly  Hostess — 
Ride  to  La  Bayona— The  Palm  and  the  Pine— Indian  Bobbers— Chat  with  the  Na 
tives—El  Chucho— The  Ferry  of  Rio  Santiago— A  Night  of  Horror 833 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Ascent  to  the  Table-Land— My  Friend  and  Caminador— A  Bargain— The  People 
— Tepic— Sacred  Mysteries  at  San  Lionel— The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents— A  Val 
ley  Picture — Crossing  the  Barranca 850 

CHAPTER  XXXY. 

The  Robber  Region — Meeting  a  Conducta — Tequila  below — Suspicions — The  Robbers 
at  Last— Plundered  and  Bound— My  Liberation— A  Gibbet  Scene— The  Kind  Padre 
of  Guadalajara 862 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Three  Days  in  Guadalajara — My  Hosts — An  Unlucky  Scotchman — Financiering — 
The  Cabal— Notoriety— Movable  Fortresses— The  Alameda— Tropic  Beauty  by 
Moonlight— An  Affectionate  Farewell 878 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

En  the  Diligence  to  Guanajuato— Pleasant  Travel— The  Cholera— San  Juan  de  los 
Lagos— The  Valley  of  Leon— An  Enchanted  City— The  Eve  of  a  Robber's  Death..  388 


XIV  CONTENTS. 


PAGH 
CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

The  Dividing  Kidge  and  Descent  to  the  Valley  of  Mexico— The  Bajio— An  Escort— A 
Gay  Padre— Zurutuza's  Hacienda— The  Pass  of  Capulalpan— Mexico 398 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Scenes  in  the  Mexican  Capital— Interior  of  the  Cathedral— Street  Characters— Smok 
ing  in  the  Theatre— Aztec  Antiquities 899 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Mexican  Politics  and  Political  Men— The  Halls  of  Congress— Presentation  of  the 
American  Minister — Herrera,  his  Government  and  Ministers 407 

CHAPTER   XLI. 
Chapultepec  and  the  Battle  Fields— The  Panorama  of  the  Valley 414 

CHAPTER   XLII. 

Tho  Base  of  Popocatapetl— Another  View  of  the  Valley— The  Pine  Woods  of  Eio 
Frio— Malinche— Popocatapetl  and  the  Pyramid  of  Cholula— Puebla  at  Night 422 

CHAPTER   XLIII. 

Glimpses  of  Purgatory  and  Paradise— The  Plains  of  Perote— The  Eim  of  the  Table- 
Land— Magnificent  View— Paradise— Orizaba  Mountain— The  Delights  of  Jalapa- 
The  Field  of  Cerro  Gordo— The  Continent  Crossed 480 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
V«ra  Cruz  and  San  Juan  d'Ulloa— Homeward ...  . .  441 


ELDORADO. 

CHAPTER  I. 

FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    CHAGRES. 

ON  the  28th  of  June,  1849,  I  sailed  from  New  York,  in  the 
U.  S.  Mail  steamship  Falcon,  bound  for  Chagres.  About  eight 
months  had  elapsed  since  the  tidings  of  an  Eldorado  in  the  West 
reached  the  Atlantic  shore.  The  first  eager  rush  of  adven 
turers  was  over,  yet  there  was  no  cessation  to  the  marvellous 
reports,  and  thousands  were  only  waiting  a  few  further  repetitions, 
to  join  the  hordes  of  emigration.  The  departure  of  a  steamer 
was  still  something  of  an  incident.  The  piers  and  shipping  were 
crowded  with  spectators,  and  as  the  Falcon  moved  from  her 
moorings,  many  a  cheer  and  shout  of  farewell  followed  her.  The 
glow  and  excitement  of  adventure  seemed  to  animate  even  those 
who  remained  behind,  and  as  for  our  passengers,  there  was  scarcely 
one  who  did  not  feel  himself  more  or  less  a  hero.  The  deck  rang 
with  songs,  laughter  and  gaily-spoken  anticipations  of  roving  life 
and  untold  treasure,  till  we  began  to  feel  the  heavy  swell  rolling 
inward  from  Sandy  Hook. 

Rough  weather  set  in  with  the  night,  and  for  a  day  or  two 
we  were  all  in  the  same  state  of  torpid  misery.  Sea-sickness — 
next  to  Death,  the  greatest  leveler — could  not,  however,  smooth 

down  the  striking  contrasts  of  character  exhibited  among  the  pas- 
1 


ELDORADO. 


sengers  Nothing  less  than  a  marvel  like  that  of  California 
could  have  brought  into  juxtaposition  so  many  opposite  types  of 
human  nature.  We  had  an  officer  of  the  Navy,  blunt,  warm 
hearted  and  jovial ;  a  captain  in  the  merchant  service,  intelligent 
and  sturdily-tempered  ;  Down-Easters,  with  sharp-set  faces — men 
of  the  genuine  stamp,  who  would  be  sure  to  fall  on  their  feet 
wherever  they  might  be  thrown ;  quiet  and  sedate  Spaniards ; 
hilarious  Germans  ;  and  some  others  whose  precise  character  was 
more  difficult  to  determine.  Nothing  was  talked  of  but  the  land 
to  which  we  were  bound,  nothing  read  but  Fremont's  Expedition, 
Emory's  Report,  or  some  work  of  Rocky  Mountain  travel. 

After  doubling  Cape  Hatteras,  on  the  second  day  out,  our  mo 
notonous  life  was  varied  by  the  discovery  of  a  distant  wreck 
Captain  Hartstein  instantly  turned  the  Falcon's  head  towards  her, 
and  after  an  hour's  run  we  came  up  with  her.  The  sea  for  some 
distance  around  was  strewed  with  barrels,  fragments  of  bulwarks, 
stanchions  and  broken  spars.  She  was  a  schooner  of  a  hundred 
tons,  lying  on  her  beam  ends  and  water-logged.  Her  mainmast 
was  gone,  the  foremast  broken  at  the  yard  and  the  bowsprit 
snapped  off  and  lying  across  her  bows.  The  mass  of  spars  and 
rigging  drifted  by  her  side,  surging  drearily  on  the  heavy  sea 
Not  a  soul  was  aboard,  and  we  made  many  conjectures  as  to  their 
fate. 

We  lay  to  off  Charleston  the  fourth  night,  waiting  for  the  mails, 
which  came  on  board  in  the  morning  with  a  few  forlorn-looking 
passengers,  sick  and  weary  with  twenty-four  hours'  tossing  on  the 
swells.  In  the  afternoon  we  saw  Tybee  Lighthouse,  through  tho 
veil  of  a  misty  shower  The  sun  set  among  the  jagged  piles  of  a 
broken  thunder-cloud,  and  ribbon-like  streaks  of  lightning  darted 
all  round  the  horizon.  Our  voyage  now  began  to  have  a  real  in- 


THE    SHORES    OF    FLORIDA.  J 

terest.  With  the  next  sunrise,  we  saw  the  Lighthouse  of  St. 
Augustine  and  ran  down  the  shores  of  Florida,  inside  the  Gulf 
Stream,  and  close  to  the  edges  of  the  banks  of  coral.  The  pas 
sengers  clustered  on  the  bow,  sitting  with  their  feet  hanging  over 
the  guards,  and  talking  of  Ponce  de  Leon,  De  Soto,  and  the  early 
Spanish  adventurers.  It  was  unanimously  voted  that  the  present 
days  were  as  wonderful  as  those,  and  each  individual  emigrant  en 
titled  to  equal  credit  for  daring  and  enterprise.  I  found  it  delighful 
to  sit  all  day  leaning  over  the  rails,  watching  the  play  of  flying-fish 
the  floating  of  purple  nautili  on  the  water,  or  looking  off  to  the 
level  line  of  the  shore.  Behind  a  beach  of  white  sand,  half  a  mile 
in  breadth  and  bordered  by  dense  thickets,  rise  the  interminable 
forests  of  live  oak,  mangrove  and  cypress.  The  monotony  of  this 
long  extent  of  coast  is  only  broken  by  an  occasional  lagoon,  where 
the  deep  green  of  the  woods  comes  down  upon  the  lighter  green 
of  the  coral  shoals,  or  by  the  huts  of  wreckers  and  their  trim, 
duck-like  crafts,  lying  in  the  offings.  The  temperature  was  deli 
cious,  with  a  light,  cloudy  sky,  and  a  breeze  as  soft  and  balmy  as 
that  of  our  northern  May.  The  afternoons  commenced  with  a 
heavy  thunder-shower,  after  which  the  wind  came  fresh  from  the 
land,  bringing  us  a  rank  vegetable  odor  from  the  cypress  swamps 
On  the  morning  of  July  5th,  I  took  a  station  on  the  wheel- 
house,  to  look  out  for  Cuba.  We  had  left  Florida  in  the  night, 
and  the  waves  of  the  Gulf  were  around  us.  The  sun,  wheeling 
near  the  zenith,  burned  fiercely  on  the  water.  I  glowed  at  my 
post,  but  not  with  his  beam.  I  had  reached  the  flaming  boun 
dary  of  the  Tropics,  and  felt  that  the  veil  was  lifting  from  an 
unknown  world.  The  far  rim  of  the  horizon  seemed  as  if  it  would 
never  break  into  an  uneven  line.  At  last,  towards  noon,  Capt. 
Hartstein  handed  me  the  ship's  glass.  T  swept  the  southern  dis- 


4  ELDORADO. 

tance,  and  discerned  a  single  blue,  conical  peak  rising  from  the 
^ater — the  well-known  Pan  of  Matanzas.  As  we  drew  nearer, 
the  Iron  Mountains — a  rugged  chain  in  the  interior — rose,  then  the 
green  hills  along  the  coast,  and  finally  the  white  beach  and  bluffs, 
the  coral  reefs  and  breakers.  The  shores  were  buried  in  vege 
tation.  The  fields  of  young  sugar-cane  ran  along  the  slopes ; 
palms  waved  from  the  hill-tops,  and  the  country  houses  of  plant 
ers  lay  deep  in  the  valleys,  nestling  in  orange  groves.  I  drank  in 
the  land-wind — a  combination  of  all  tropical  perfumes  in  one  full 
breath  of  cool  air — with  an  enjoyment  verging  on  intoxication, 
while,  point  beyond  point,  we  followed  the  enchanting  coast. 

We  ran  under  the  battlements  of  the  Moro  at  six  o'clock,  and 
turning  abruptly  round  the  bluff  of  dark  rock  on  which  it  is  built, 
the  magnificent  harbor  opened  inland  before  us.  To  the  right  lay 
the  city,  with  its  terraced  houses  of  all  light  and  brilliant  colors, 
its  spacious  public  buildings,  spires,  and  the  quaint,  half-oriental 
pile  of  its  cathedral,  in  whose  chancel  repose  the  ashes  of  Christo 
pher  Columbus.  The  immense  fortress  of  the  Moro  crowned  the 
height  on  our  left,  the  feathery  heads  of  palm-trees  peering  above 
its  massive,  cream-colored  walls.  A  part  of  the  garrison  were  going 
through  their  evening  exercises  on  the  beach.  Numberless  boats 
skimmed  about  on  the  water,  and  a  flat  ferry-steamer,  painted 
green  and  yellow,  was  on  its  way  to  the  suburb  of  Kegoles. 
Around  the  land-locked  harbor,  two  miles  in  width,  rose  green 
hills,  dotted  with  the  country  palaces  of  the  nobility.  Over  all 
this  charming  view  glowed  the  bright  hues  of  a  southern  sunset. 

On  account  of  the  cholera  at  New  York,  we  were  ordered  up 
to  the  Quarantine  ground  and  anchored  beside  the  hulk  of  an  old 
frigate,  filled  with  yellow-fever  patients.  The  Health  Officers 
received  the  mail  and  ship's  papers  at  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  and 


NIGHT    IN    HAVANA    HARBOR.  5 

dipped  them  in  a  bucket  of  vinegar.  The  boats  which  brought 
us  water  and  vegetables  were  attended  by  Cuban  soldiers,  in  white 
uniform,  who  guarded  against  all  contact  with  us.  Half-naked 
slaves,  with  the  broad,  coarse  features  of  the  natives  of  Congo, 
worked  at  the  pump,  but  even  they  suffered  the  rope-end  or  plank 
which  had  touched  our  vessel,  to  drop  in  the  water  before  they 
handled  it.  After  sunset,  the  yellow-fever  dead  were  buried  and 
the  bell  of  a  cemetery  on  shore  tolled  mournfully  at  intervals. 
The  steamer  Isabel,  and  other  American  ships,  were  anchored 
beside  us,  and  a  lively  conversation  between  the  crews  broke  the 
stillness  of  the  tropical  moonlight  resting  on  the  water.  Now 
and  then  they  struck  into  songs,  one  taking  up  a  new  strain  aa 
the  other  ceased — in  the  style  of  the  Venetian  gondoliers,  but 
with  a  different  effect.  "  Tasso's  echoes"  are  another  thing  from 
"the  floating  scow  of  old  Virginny."  The  lights  of  the  city 
gleamed  at  a  distance,  and  over  them  the  flaming  beacon  of  the 
Moro.  Tall  palms  were  dimly  seen  on  the  nearer  hills,  and  the 
damp  night-air  came  heavy  with  the  scent  of  cane-fields,  orange 
groves  and  flowers. 

A  voyage  across  the  Gulf  is  the  perfection  of  sea-traveling. 
After  a  detention  of  eighteen  hours  at  Havana,  we  ran  under  the 
frowning  walls  of  the  Moro,  out  on  its  sheet  of  brilliant  blue  wa 
ter,  specked  with  white-caps  that  leaped  to  a  fresh  north-easter. 
The  waves  are  brighter,  the  sky  softer  and  purer,  the  sunsets 
more  mellow  than  on  the  Atlantic,  and  the  heat,  though  ranging 
from  88°  to  95°  in  the  shade,  is  tempered  by  a  steady  and  de 
licious  breeze. 

Before  catching  sight  of  land,  our  approach  to  the  Mississippi 
was  betrayed  by  the  water.  Changing  to  a  deep,  then  a  muddy 
green,  which,  even  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  shore,  rolls  its 


6  ELDORADO. 

stratum  of  fresh  water  over  the  bed  of  denser  brine,  it  needed  no 
soundings  to  tell  of  land  ahead.  The  light  on  the  South  Pass 
was  on  our  starboard  at  dusk.  The  arm  of  the  river  we  entered 
seemed  so  wide  in  the  uncertain  light,  that,  considering  it  as  one 
of  five,  my  imagination  expanded  in  contemplating  the  size  of  the 
single  flood,  bearing  in  its  turbid  waves  the  snows  of  mountain* 
that  look  on  Oregon,  the  ice  of  lakes  in  Northern  Minesota  and 
the  crystal  springs  that  for  a  thousand  miles  gush  from  the  west 
ern  slope  of  the  Alleghanies.  When  morning  came,  my  excited 
fancies  seemed  completely  at  fault.  I  could  scarcely  recognize 
the  Father  of  "Waters  in  the  tortuous  current  of  brown  soap-suds, 
a  mile  in  width,  flowing  between  forests  of  willow  and  cypress  on 
one  side  and  swamps  that  stretched  to  the  horizon  on  the  other. 
Everything  exhibited  the  rank  growth  and  speedy  decay  of  tropi 
cal  vegetation  The  river  was  filled  with  floating  logs,  which 
were  drifted  all  along  the  shore.  The  trees,  especially  the 
cypress,  were  shrouded  in  gray  moss,  that  hung  in  long  streamers 
from  the  branches,  and  at  intervals  the  fallen  thatch  of  some  de 
serted  cabin  was  pushed  from  its  place  by  shrubbery  and  wild 
vines. 

Near  the  city,  the  shores  present  a  rich  and  cultivated  aspect 
The  land  is  perfectly  flat,  but  the  forest  recedes,  and  broad  fields 
of  sugar  cane  and  maize  in  ear  come  down  to  the  narrow  levee 
which  protects  them  from  the  flood.  The  houses  of  the  planters, 
low,  balconied  and  cool,  are  buried  among  orange  trees,  acacias, 
and  the  pink  blossoms  of  the  crape  myrtle.  The  slave-huts  ad 
joining,  in  parallel  rows,  have  sometimes  small  gardens  attached, 
but  are  rarely  shaded  by  trees. 

I  found  New  Orleans  remarkably  dull  and  healthy.  Tne  city 
was  enjoying  an  interregnum  between  the  departure  of  the  cholera 


NEW    ORLEANS.  7 

and  the  arrival  of  the  yellow  fever.  The  crevasse,  by  which  half 
the  city  had  lately  been  submerged,  was  closed,  but  the  effects 
of  the  inundation  were  still  perceptible  in  frequent  pools  of  stand 
ing  water,  and  its  scenes  daily  renewed  by  incessant  showers. 
The  rain  came  down,  "  not  from  one  lone  cloud,"  but  as  if  a 
thousand  cisterns  had  been  stove  in  at  once.  In  half  an  hour  after 
a  shower  commenced,  the  streets  were  navigable,  the  hack-horse** 
splashing  their  slow  way  through  the  flood,  carrying  home  a  few 
drenched  unfortunates. 

The  Falcon  was  detained  four  days,  which  severely  tested  the 
temper  of  my  impatient  shipmates.  I  employed  the  occasional 
gleams  of  clear  weather  in  rambling  over  the  old  French  and 
Spanish  quarters,  ridmg  on  the  Lafayette  Railroad  or  driving  out 
the  Shell  Road  to  the  cemetery,  where  the  dead  are  buried  above 
ground.  The  French  part  of  the  city  is  unique  and  interesting. 
All  the  innovation  is  confined  to  the  American  Municipalities, 
which  resemble  the  business  parts  of  our  Northern  cities.  The 
curious  one-storied  dwellings,  with  jalousies  and  tiled  roofs,  of  the 
last  century,  have  not  been  disturbed  in  the  region  below  Canal 
street.  The  low  houses,  where  the  oleander  and  crape  myrtle 
still  look  over  the  walls,  were  once  inhabited  by  the  luxurious 
French  planters,  but  now  display  such  signs  as  "  Magazin  des 
Modes,"  "  Au  bon  marche,"  or  "  Perrot,  Coiffeur."  Some  of 
the  more  pretending  mansions  show  the  porte  cocker e,  and  heavy 
barred  windows  of  the  hotels  of  Paris,  and  the  common  taverns, 
with  their  smoky  aspect  and  the  blue  blouses  that  fill  them,  are 
exact  counterparts  of  some  I  have  seen  in  the  Rue  St.  Antoine. 
The  body  of  the  Cathedral,  standing  at  the  head  of  the  Place  d' 
A.rmes,  was  torn  down,  and  workmen  were  employed  in  building 
a  prison  in  its  stead ;  but  the  front,  with  its  venerable  tower  and 


8  ELDORADO. 

refreshing  appearance  of  antiquity,  will  remain,  hiding  behind  its 
changeless  face  far  different  passions  and  darker  spectacles  than 
in  the  Past. 

The  hour  of  departure  at  length  arrived.  The  levee  opposite 
our  anchorage,  in  Lafayette  City,  was  thronged  with  a  noisy  mul 
titude,  congregated  to  witness  the  embarcation  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  additional  passengers.  Our  deck  became  populous  with  tall, 
gaunt  Mississipians  and  Arkansans,  Missouri  squatters  who  had 
pulled  up  their  stakes  yet  another  time,  and  an  ominous  number 
of  professed  gamblers.  All  were  going  to  seek  their  fortunes  in 
California,  but  very  few  had  any  definite  idea  of  the  country  or 
the  voyage  to  be  made  before  reaching  it.  There  were  among 
them  some  new  varieties  of  the  American — long,  loosely-jointed 
men,  with  large  hands  and  feet  and  limbs  which  would  still  be 
awkward,  whatever  the  fashion  of  their  clothes.  Their  faces  were 
lengthened,  deeply  sallow,  overhung  by  straggling  locks  of  straight 
black  hair,  and  wore  an  expression  of  settled  melancholy.  The 
corners  of  their  mouths  curved  downwards,  the  upper  lip  drawn 
slightly  over  the  under  one,  giving  to  the  lower  part  of  the  face 
that  cast  of  destructiveness  peculiar  to  the  Indian.  These  men 
chewed  tobacco  at  a  ruinous  rate,  and  spent  their  time  either  in 
dozing  at  full  length  on  the  deck  or  going  into  the  fore-cabin  for 
'  drinks.'  Each  one  of  them  carried  arms  enough  for  a  small 
company  and  breathed  defiance  to  all  foreigners. 

We  had  a  voyage  of  seven  days,  devoid  of  incident,  to  the 
Isthmus.  During  the  fourth  night  we  passed  between  Cuba  and 
Yucatan.  Then,  after  crossing  the  mouth  of  the  Gulf  of  Hon 
duras,  where  we  met  the  south-eastern  trades,  and  runnino-  the 
gauntlet  of  a  cluster  of  coral  keys,  for  the  navigation  of  which  no 
chart  can  be  positively  depended  upon,  we  came  into  the  deep 


CHAGRES,    FROM    THE    SEA.  9 

water  of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  waves  ran  high  under  a  dull 
rain  and  raw  wind,  more  like  Newfoundland  weather  than  the 
tropics.  On  the  morning  of  the  eighth  day,  we  approached  land. 
All  hands  gathered  on  deck,  peering  into  the  mist  for  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  Isthmus.  Suddenly  a  heavy  rain-cloud  lifted,  and 
we  saw,  about  five  miles  distant,  the  headland  of  Porto  Bello — a 
bold,  rocky  promontory,  fringed  with  vegetation  and  washed  at 
its  foot  by  a  line  of  snowy  breakers.  The  range  of  the  Andes  of 
Darien  towered  high  behind  the  coast,  the  further  summits  lost  in 
the  rain.  Turning  to  the  south-west,  we  followed  the  magnificent 
sweep  of  hills  toward  Chagres,  passing  Navy  Bay,  the  Atlantic 
terminus  of  the  Panama  Railroad.  The  entrance  is  narrow,  be 
tween  two  bold  bluffs,  opening  into  a  fine  land-locked  harbor, 
surrounded  by  hills. 

Chagres  lies  about  eight  miles  to  the  west  of  this  bay,  but  the 
mouth  of  the  river  is  so  narrow  that  the  place  is  not  seen  till  you 
run  close  upon  it.  The  eastern  shore  is  high  and  steep,  cloven 
with  ravines  which  roll  their  floods  of  tropical  vegetation  down  to 
the  sea.  The  old  castle  of  San  Lorenzo  crowns  the  point,  occu 
pying  a  position  somewhat  similar  to  the  Moro  Castle  at  Havana, 
and  equally  impregnable.  Its  brown  battlements  and  embrasures 
have  many  a  dark  and  stirring  recollection.  Morgan  and  his 
buccaneers  scaled  its  walls,  took  and  leveled  it,  after  a  fight  in 
which  all  but  thirty-three  out  of  three  hundred  and  fourteen  de 
fenders  were  slain,  some  of  them  leaping  madly  from  the  precipice 
into  the  sea.  Strong  as  it  is  by  nature,  and  would  be  in  the  hands 
of  an  enterprising  people,  it  now  looks  harmless  enough  with  a  few 
old  cannon  lying  lazily  on  its  ramparts.  The  other  side  of  the 
river  is  flat  and  marshy,  and  from  our  place  of  anchorage  we  could 
only  see  the  tops  of  some  huts  among  the  trees. 


10  ELDORADO. 

We  came  to  anchor  about  half  past  four.  The  deck  was  already 
covered  with  luggage  and  everybody  was  anxious  to  leave  first. 
Our  captain,  clerk,  and  a  bearer  of  dispatches,  were  pulled  ashore 
in  the  steamer's  boat,  and  in  the  meantime  the  passengers  formed 
themselves  into  small  companies  for  the  journey  up  the  river.  An 
immense  canoe,  or  "  dug-out,"  manned  by  half-naked  natives 
shortly  came  out,  and  the  most  of  the  companies  managed  to  get 
agents  on  board  to  secure  canoes  for  them.  The  clerk,  on  his  re 
turn,  was  assailed  by  such  a  storm  of  questions — the  passengers 
leaning  half-way  over  the  bulwarks  in  their  eagerness  for  news — 
that  for  a  few  minutes  he  could  not  make  himself  heard.  When 
the  clamor  subsided,  he  told  us  that  the  Pacific  steamer  would 
sail  from  Panama  on  the  1st  of  August,  and  that  the  only  canoes 
to  be  had  that  night  were  already  taken  by  Captain  Hartstein, 
who  was  then  making  his  way  up  the  Rio  Chagres,  in  rain  and 
thick  darkness.  The  trunks  and  blankets  were  therefore  taken 
below  again  and  we  resigned  ourselves  to  another  night  on  board, 
with  a  bare  chance  of  sleep  in  the  disordered  state-rooms  and 
among  the  piles  of  luggage.  A  heavy  cloud  on  the  sea  broke  out 
momently  into  broad  scarlet  flashes  of  lightning,  surpassing  any 
celestial  pyrotechnics  I  ever  witnessed.  The  dark  walls  of  San 
Lorenzo,  the  brilliant  clusters  of  palms  on  the  shore  and  the 
green,  rolling  hills  of  the  interior,  leaped  at  intervals  out  of  the 
gloom,  as  vividly  seen  as  under  the  noon-day  sun. 


CHAPTER  II, 

CROSSING    THE    ISTHMUS. 

I  LEFT  the  Falcon  at  day-break  in  the  ship's  boat.  We  rounded 
the  high  bluff  on  which  the  castle  stands  and  found  beyond  it  a 
shallow  little  bay,  on  the  eastern  side  of  which,  on  low  ground, 
stand  the  cane  huts  of  Chagres.  Piling  up  our  luggage  on  the 
shore,  each  one  set  about  searching  for  the  canoes  which  had  been 
engaged  the  night  previous,  but,  without  a  single  exception,  the 
natives  were  not  to  be  found,  or  when  found,  had  broken  their 
bargains.  Everybody  ran  hither  and  thither  in  great  excitement, 
anxious  to  be  off  before  everybody  else,  and  hurrying  the  naked 
boatmen,  all  to  no  purpose.  The  canoes  were  beached  on  the 
mud,  and  their  owners  engaged  in  re-thatching  their  covers  with 
split  leaves  of  the  palm.  The  doors  of  the  huts  were  filled  with 
men  and  women,  each  in  a  single  cotton  garment,  composedly 
smoking  their  cigars,  while  numbers  of  children,  in  Nature's  own 
clothing,  tumbled  about  in  the  sun.  Having  started  without 
breakfast,  I  went  to  the  "  Crescent  City"  Hotel,  a  hut  with  a  floor 
to  it,  but  could  get  nothing.  Some  of  my  friends  had  fared  better 
at  one  of  the  native  huts,  and  I  sat  down  to  the  remains  of  their 
meal,  which  was  spread  on  a  hen-coop  beside  the  door.  The  pigs 
of  the  vicinity  and  several  lean  dogs  surrounded  me  to  offer  their 


12  ELDORADO. 

services,  but  maintained  a  respectful  silence,  which  is  more  than 
could  be  said  of  pigs  at  home.  Some  pieces  of  pork  fat,  with 
fresh  bread  and  a  draught  of  sweet  spring  water  from  a  cocoa 
shell,  made  me  a  delicious  repast. 

A  returning  Californian  had  just  reached  the  place,  with  a  box 
containing  $22,000  in  gold-dust,  and  a  four-pound  lump  in  one 
band.  The  impatience  and  excitement  of  the  passengers,  already 
at  a  high  pitch,  was  greatly  increased  by  his  appearance.  Life 
and  death  were  small  matters  compared  with  immediate  departure 
from  Chagres.  Men  ran  up  and  down  the  beach,  shouting,  gesti- 
ctdating,  and  getting  feverishly  impatient  at  the  deliberate  habits 
of  the  natives ;  as  if  their  arrival  in  California  would  thereby  be 
at  all  hastened.  The  boatmen,  knowing  very  well  that  two  more 
steamers  were  due  the  next  day,  remained  provokingly  cool  and 
unconcerned.  They  had  not  seen  six  months  of  emigration  with 
out  learning  something  of  the  American  habit  of  going  at  full 
speed.  The  word  of  starting  in  use  on  the  Chagres  River,  is  "  go- 
ahead  !"  Captain  C and  Mr.  M ,  of  Baltimore,  and 

myself,  were  obliged  to  pay  $15  each,  for  a  canoe  to  Cruces.  We 
chose  a  broad,  trimly-cut  craft,  which  the  boatmen  were  covering 
with  fresh  thatch.  We  stayed  with  them  until  all  was  ready,  and 
they  had  pushed  it  through  the  mud  and  shoal  water  to  the  bank 
before  Ramos's  house.  Our  luggage  was  stowed  away,  we  took 
our  seats  and  raised  our  umbrellas,  but  the  men  had  gone  off  for 
provisions  and  were  not  to  be  found.  All  the  other  canoes  were 
equally  in  limbo.  The  sun  blazed  down  on  the  swampy  shores, 
and  visions  of  yellow  fever  canie  into  the  minds  of  the  more  timid 
travelers.  The  native  boys  brought  to  us  bottles  of  fresh  water, 
biscuits  and  fruit,  presenting  them  with  the  words  :  "  bit !"  "pi 
cayune  !"  **  Your  bread  is  not  good,"  I  said  to  one  of  the  shirt- 


QUARREL    WITH    A    NATIVE. 

less  traders  ''Si,  Senor !"  was  Ms  decided  answer,  -while  he 
tossed  back  his  childish  head  with  a  look  of  offended  dignity  which 
charmed  me.  While  sitting  patiently  in  our  craft,  I  was  much 
diverted  by  seeing  one  of  our  passengers  issue  from  a  hut  with  a 
native  on  each  arm,  and  march  them  resolutely  down  to  the  river. 
Our  own  men  appeared  towards  noon,  with  a  bag  of  rice  and  dried 
pork,  and  an  armful  of  sugar-cane.  A  few  strokes  of  their  broad 
paddles  took  us  from  the  excitement  and  noise  of  the  landing-place 
to  the  seclusion  and  beauty  of  the  river  scenery. 

Our  chief  boatman,  named  Ambrosio  Mendez,  was  of  the  mixed 
Indian  and  Spanish  race.  The  second,  Juan  Crispin  Bega,  be 
longed  to  the  lowest  class,  almost  entirely  of  negro  blood.  He 
was  a  strong,  jovial  fellow,  and  took  such  good  care  of  some  of  our 
small  articles  as  to  relieve  us  from  all  further  trouble  about  them. 
This  propensity  is  common  to  all  of  his  caste  on  the  Isthmus.  In 
addition  to  these,  a  third  man  was  given  to  us,  with  the  assurance 
that  he  would  work  his  passage  ;  but  just  as  we  were  leaving,  we 
learned  that  he  was  a  runaway  soldier,  who  had  been  taken  up  for 
theft  and  was  released  on  paying  some  sub-alcalde  three  bottles  of 
liquor,  promising  to  quit  the  place  at  once.  We  were  scarcely 
out  of  sight  of  the  town  before  he  demanded  five  dollars  a  day  for 
his  labor.  We  refused,  and  he  stopped  working.  Upon  our 
threatening  to  set  him  ashore  in  the  jungle,  he  took  up  the  paddle, 
but  used  it  so  awkwardly  and  perversely  that  our  other  men  lost 
all  patience.  We  were  obliged,  however,  to  wait  until  we  could 
reach  Gatun,  ten  miles  distant,  before  settling  matters.  Juan 
struck  up  u  Oh  Susanna  !"  which  he  sang  to  a  most  ludicrous 
imitation  of  the  words,  and  I  lay  back  under  the  palm  leaves, 
looking  out  of  the  stern  of  the  cano3  on  the  forests  of  the  Chagres 
River. 


14  ELDORADO. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  world  comparable  to  these  forests.  No 
description  that  I  have  ever  read  conveys  an  idea  of  the  splendid 
overplus  of  vegetable  life  within  the  tropics.  The  river,  broad, 
and  with  a  swift  current  of  the  sweetest  water  I  ever  drank,  winds 
between  walls  of  foliage  that  rise  from  its  very  surface.  All  the 
gorgeous  growths  of  an  eternal  Summer  are  so  mingled  in  one 
impenetrable  mass,  that  the  eye  is  bewildered.  From  the  rank 
jungle  of  canes  and  gigantic  lilies,  and  the  thickets  of  strange 
shrubs  that  line  the  water,  rise  the  trunks  of  the  mango,  the  ceiba, 
the  cocoa,  the  sycamore  and  the  superb  palm.  Plaintains  take 
root  in  the  banks,  hiding  the  soil  with  their  leaves,  shaken  and 
split  into  immense  plumes  by  the  wind  and  rain.  The  zapote, 
with  a  fruit  the  size  of  a  man's  head,  the  gourd  tree,  and  other 
vegetable  wonders,  attract  the  eye  on  all  sides.  Blossoms  of 
crimson,  purple  and  yellow,  of  a  form  and  magnitude  unknown  in 
the  North,  are  mingled  with  the  leaves,  and  flocks  of  paroquets 
and  brilliant  butterflies  circle  through  the  air  like  blossoms  blown 
away.  Sometimes  a  spike  of  scarlet  flowers  is  thrust  forth  like 
the  tongue  of  a  serpent  from  the  heart  of  some  convolution  of  un 
folding  leaves,  and  often  the  creepers  and  parasites  drop  trails  and 
streamers  of  fragrance  from  boughs  that  shoot  half-way  across  the 
river.  Every  turn  of  the  stream  only  disclosed  another  and  more 
magnificent  vista  of  leaf,  bough  and  blossom.  All  outline  of  the 
landscape  is  lost  under  this  deluge  of  vegetation.  No  trace  of  the 
soil  is  to  be  seen  ;  lowland  and  highland  are  the  same  ;  a  moun 
tain  is  but  a  higher  swell  of  the  mass  of  verdure.  As  on  the 
ocean,  you  have  a  sense  rather  than  a  perception  of  beauty.  The 
sharp,  clear  lines  of  our  scenery  at  home  are  here  wanting.  What 
shape  the  land  would  be  if  cleared,  you  cannot  tell.  You  gaze 
upon  the  scene  before  you  with  a  never-satod  delight,  till  your 


THE    VILLAGE    OF    GATUN  15 

brain  aclics  with  the  sensation,  and  you  close  your  eyes,  over 
whelmed  with  the  thought  that  all  these  wonders  have  been  from 
the  beginning — that  year  after  year  takes  away  no  leaf  or  blossom 
that  is  not  replaced,  but  the  sublime  mystery  of  growth  and  decay 
is  renewed  forever. 

In  the  afternoon  we  reached  Gtatun,  a  small  village  of  bamboo 
huts,  thatched  with  palm-leaves,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river. 
The  canoes  which  preceded  us  had  already  stopped,  and  the  boat 
men,  who  have  a  mutual  understanding,  had  decided  to  remain 
all  night.  We  ejected  our  worthless  passenger  on  landing,  not 
withstanding  his  passive  resistance,  and  engaged  a  new  boatman 
in  his  place,  at  $8.  I  shall  never  forget  the  forlorn  look  of  the 
man  as  he  sat  on  the  bank  beside  his  bag  of  rice,  as  the  rain  be 
gan  to  fall.  Ambrosio  took  us  to  one  of  the  huts  and  engaged 
hammocks  for  the  night.  Two  wooden  drums,  beaten  by  boys,  in 
another  part  of  the  village,  gave  signs  of  a  coming  fandango,  and, 
as  it  was  Sunday  night,  all  the  natives  were  out  in  their  best 
dresses.  They  are  a  very  cleanly  people,  bathing  daily,  and 
changing  their  dresses  as  often  as  they  are  soiled.  The  children 
have  their  heads  shaved  from  the  crown  to  the  neck,  and  as  they 
go  about  naked,  with  abdomens  unnaturally  distended,  from  an 
exclusive  vegetable  diet,  are  odd  figures  enough.  They  have 
bright  black  eyes,  and  are  quick  and  intelligent  in  their  speech 
and  motions. 

The  inside  of  our  hut  was  but  a  single  room,  in  which  all  the 
household  operations  were  carried  on.  A  notched  pole,  serving 
as  a  ladder,  led  to  a  sleeping  loft,  under  the  pyramidal  roof  of 
thatch.  Here  a  number  of  the  emigrants  who  arrived  late  were 
stowed  away  on  a  rattling  floor  of  cane,  covered  with  hides.  After 
a  supper  of  pork  and  coffee,  I  made  my  day's  notes  by  the  light 


16  ELDORADO. 

of  a  miserable  starveling  candle,  stuck  in  an  empty  bottle,  but  had 
not  written  far  before  my  paper  was  covered  with  fleas.  The 
owner  of  the  hut  swung  my  hammock  meanwhile,  and  I  turned  in, 
to  secure  it  for  the  night.  To  lie  there  was  one  thing,  to  sleep 
another.  A  dozen  natives  crowded  round  the  table,  drinking 
their  aguardiente  and  disputing  vehemently  ;  the  cooking  fire  was 
on  one  side  of  me,  and  every  one  that  passed  to  and  fro  was  sure 
to  give  me  a  thump,  while  my  weight  swung  the  hammock  so  low, 
that  all  the  dogs  on  the  premises  were  constantly  rubbing  their 
backs  under  me.  I  was  just  sinking  into  a  doze,  when  my  head 
was  so  violently  agitated  that  I  started  up  in  some  alarm.  It  was 
but  a  quarrel  about  payment  between  the  Senora  and  a  boatman, 
one  standing  on  either  side.  From  their  angry  gestures,  my  own 
head  and  not  the  reckoning,  seemed  the  subject  of  contention. 

Our  men  were  to  have  started  at  midnight,  but  it  was  two 
hours  later  before  we  could  rouse  and  muster  them  together.  We 
went  silently  and  rapidly  up  the  river  till  sunrise,  when  we  reached 
a  cluster  of  huts  called  Dos  Hermanos  (Two  Brothers.)  Here 
we  overtook  two  canoes,  which,  in  their  anxiety  to  get  ahead,  had 
been  all  night  on  the  river.  There  had  been  only  a  slight  shower 
since  we  started ;  but  the  clouds  began  to  gather  heavily,  and  by 
the  time  we  had  gained  the  ranche  of  Palo  Matida  a  sudden  cold 
wind  came  over  the  forests,  and  the  air  was  at  once  darkened. 
We  sprang  ashore  and  barely  reached  the  hut,  a  few  paces  off, 
when  the  rain  broke  over  us,  as  if  the  sky  had  caved  in.  A  dozen 
lines  of  white  electric  heat  ran  down  from  the  zenith,  followed  by 
Crashes  of  thunder,  which  I  could  feel  throbbing  in  the  earth  under 
my  feet.  The  rain  drove  into  one  side  of  the  cabin  and  out  the 
other,  but  we  wrapped  ourselves  in  India-rubber  cloth  and  kept 
out  the  wet  and  chilling  air.  During  the  whole  day  the  river  rose 


SONGS    ON    THE    RIVER.  17 

rapidly  and  we  were  obliged  to  hug  the  bank  closely,  running 
under  the  boughs  of  trees  and  drawing  ourselves  up  the  rapids 
by  those  that  hung  low. 

I  crept  out  of  the  snug  nest  where  we  were  all  stowed  as  closely 
as  three  unfledged  sparrows,  and  took  my  seat  between  Juan  and 
Ambrosio,  protected  from  the  rain  by  an  India-rubber  poncho . 
The  clothing  of  our  men  was  likewise  waterproof,  but  without 
seam  or  fold.  It  gave  no  hindrance  to  the  free  play  of  their 
muscles,  as  they  deftly  and  rapidly  plied  the  broad  paddles 
Juan  kept  time  to  the  Ethiopian  melodies  he  had  picked  up  from 
the  emigrants,  looking  round  from  time  to  time  with  a  grin  of 
satisfaction  at  his  skill.  I  preferred,  however,  hearing  the  native 
songs,  which  the  boatmen  sing  with  a  melancholy  drawl  on  the 
final  syllable  of  every  line,  giving  the  music  a  peculiar  but  not 
unpleasant  effect,  when  heard  at  a  little  distance.  There  was 
one,  in  particular,  which  he  sang  with  some  expression,  the  re 
frain  running  thus : 

"  Ten  piedad,  piedad  de  mis  penas, 
Ten  piedad,  piedad  de  mi  amor !" 
(Have  pity  on  my  sufferings — have  pity  on-  my  love  !) 

Singing  begets  thirst,  and  perhaps  Juan  sang  the  more  that  he 
might  have  a  more  frequent  claim  on  the  brandy.  The  bottle 
was  then  produced  and  each  swallowed  a  mouthful,  after  which 
he  dipped  his  cocoa  shell  in  the  river  and  took  a  long  draught. 
This  is  a  universal  custom  among  the  boatmen,  and  the  traveler 
is  obliged  to  supply  them.  As  a  class,  they  are  faithful,  hard 
working  and  grateful  for  kindness.  They  have  faults,  the  worst 
of  which  are  tardiness,  and  a  propensity  to  filch  small  articles ; 
but  good  treatment  wins  upon  them  in  almost  every  case.  Juan 


18  ELDORADO. 

said  to  me  in  the  beginning  "  soy  tu  amigo  3/0,"  (Ameri(,anic&  :  I 
am  thy  friend,  well  I  am,)  but  when  he  asked  me,  in  turn,  for 
every  article  of  clothing  I  wore,  I  began  to  think  his  friendship 
not  the  most  disinterested.  Ambrosio  told  me  that  they  would 
serve  no  one  well  who  treated  them  badly.  "  If  the  American* 
are  good,  we  are  good  ;  if  they  abuse  us,  we  are  bad.  We  are 
black,  but  muchos  caballeros,"  (very  much  of  gentlemen,)  said 
he.  Many  blustering  fellows,  with  their  belts  stuck  full  of  pistols 
and  bowie-knives,  which  they  draw  on  all  occasions,  but  take 
good  care  not  to  use,  have  brought  reproach  on  the  country  by 
their  silly  conduct.  It  is  no  bravery  to  put  a  revolver  to  the 
head  of  an  unarmed  and  ignorant  native,  and  the  boatmen  have 
sense  enough  to  be  no  longer  terrified  by  it. 

We  stopped  the  second  night  at  Peria  Blanca,  (the  White 
Rock,)  where  I  slept  in  the  loft  of  a  hut,  on  the  floor,  in  the 
midst  of  the  family  and  six  other  travelers.  We  started  at  sun 
rise,  hoping  to  reach  Gorgona  the  same  night,  but  ran  upon  a 
sunken  log  and  were  detained  some  time.  Ambrosio  finally  re 
leased  us  by  jumping  into  the  river  and  swimming  ashore  with  a 
rope  hi  his  teeth.  The  stream  was  very  high,  ruaning  at  least  five 
miles  an  hour,  and  we  could  only  stem  it  with  great  labor.  We 
passed  the  ranches  of  Agua  Salud,  Varro  Colorado  and  Palan- 
quilla,  and  shortly  after  were  overtaken  by  a  storm  on  the  river. 
We  could  hear  the  rush  and  roar  of  the  rain,  as  it  came  towards 
us  like  the  trampling  of  myriad  feet  on  the  leaves.  Shooting 
under  a  broad  sycamore  we  made  fast  to  the  boughs,  covered  our- 
gelves  with  India-rubber,  and  lay  under  our  cool,  rustling  thatch 
of  palm,  until  the  storm  had  passed  over. 

The  character  of  the  scenery  changed  somewhat  as  we  ad« 
vanced  The  air  was  purer,  and  the  banks  more  bold  and  steep. 


A  PRIEST'S  HOUSEHOLD.  19 

The  country  showed  more  signs  of  cultivation,  and  in  many  places 
the  forest  had  been  lopped  away  to  make  room  for  fields  of  maize, 
plantain  and  rice.  But  the  vegetation  was  still  that  of  the 
tropics  and  many  were  the  long  and  lonely  reaches  of  the  river, 
where  we  glided  between  piled  masses  of  bloom  and  greenery.  I 
remember  one  spot,  where,  from  the  crest  of  a  steep  hill  to  the 
edge  of  the  water,  descended  a  flood,  a  torrent  of  vegetation 
Trees  were  rolled  upon  trees,  woven  into  a  sheet  by  parasitic  vines, 
that  leaped  into  the  air  like  spray,  from  the  topmost  boughs. 
When  a  wind  slightly  agitated  the  sea  of  leaves,  and  the  vines 
were  flung  like  a  green  foam  on  the  surface  of  the  river,  it  was 
almost  impossible  not  to  feel  that  the  flood  was  about  rushing 
down  to  overwhelm  us. 

We  stopped  four  hours  short  of  Gorgona,  at  the  hacienda  of 
San  Pablo,  the  residence  of  Padre  Dutaris,  cure  of  all  the  in 
terior.  Anabrosio  took  us  to  his  house  by  a  path  across  a  rolling, 
open  savanna,  dotted  by  palms  and  acacias  of  immense  size. 
Herds  of  cattle  and  horses  were  grazing  on  the  short,  thick-leaved 
grass,  and  appeared  to  be  in  excellent  condition.  The  padre 
owns  a  large  tract  of  land,  with  a  thousand  head  of  stock,  and  his 
ranche  commands  a  beautiful  view  up  and  down  the  river.  Am- 
brosio  was  acquainted  with  his  wife,  and  by  recommending  us  a? 
buenos  caballeros,  procured  us  a  splendid  supper  of  fowls,  eggs, 
rice  boiled  in  cocoa  milk,  and  chocolate,  with  baked  plantains  for 
bread.  Those  who  came  after  us  had  difficulty  in  getting  any 
thing.  The  padre  had  been  frequently  cheated  by  Americans 
and  was  therefore  cautious.  He  was  absent  at  the  time,  but  his 
son  Felipe,  a  boy  of  twelve  years  old,  assisted  in  doing  the  honors 
with  wonderful  grace  and  self-possession.  His  tawny  skin  was 
as  soft  as  velvet,  and  his  black  eyes  sparkled  like  jewels.  He  is 


20  ELDORADO. 

almost  the  only  living  model  of  the  Apollino  that  I  ever  saw.  He 
sat  in  the  hammock  with  me,  leaning  over  my  shoulder  as  I  noted 
down  the  day's  doings,  and  when  I  had  done,  wrote  his  name  in 
my  book,  in  an  elegant  hand.  I  slept  soundly  in  the  midst  of  an 
uproar,  and  only  awoke  at  four  o'clock  next  morning,  to  hurry 
our  men  in  leaving  for  Gorgona. 

The  current  was  very  strong  and  in  some  places  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  make  headway.  Our  boatmen  worked  hard,  and  by 
dint  of  strong  poling  managed  to  jump  through  most  difficult 
places.  Their  naked,  sinewy  forms,  bathed  in  sweat,  shone  like 
polished  bronze.  Ambrosio  was  soon  exhausted,  and  lay  down ; 
but  Miguel,  our  corps  de  reserve,  put  his  agile  spirit  into  the 
work  and  flung  himself  upon  the  pole  with  such  vigor  that  all  the 
muscles  of  his  body  quivered  as  the  boat  shot  ahead  and  relaxed 
them.  About  half-way  to  Gorgona  we  rounded  the  foot  of  Monte 
Carabali,  a  bold  peak  clothed  with  forests  and  crowned  with  a 
single  splendid  palm.  This  hill  is  the  only  one  in  the  province 
from  which  both  oceans  may  be  seen  at  once. 

As  we  neared  Gorgona,  our  men  began  repeating  the  ominous 
words  :  "  Cruces — mucha  colera."  We  had,  in  fact,  already  heard 
of  the  prevalence  of  cholera  there,  but  doubted,  none  the  less, 
their  wish  to  shorten  the  journey.  On  climbing  the  bank  to  the 
village,  I  called  immediately  at  the  store  of  Mr.  Miller,  the  only 
American  resident,  who  informed  me  that  several  passengers  by 
the  Falcon  had  already  left  for  Panama,  the  route  being  reported 
passable.  In  the  door  of  the  alcalde's  house,  near  at  hand,  I 
met  Mr.  Powers,  who  had  left  New  York  a  short  time  previous 
to  my  departure,  and  was  about  starting  for  Panama  on  foot, 
mules  being  very  scarce.  While  we  were  deliberating  whether  tc 
go  on  to  Cruces,  Ambrosio  beckoned  me  into  an  adjoining  hut. 


AN    AFFECTIONATE    BOATMAN.  21 

The  owner,  a  very  venerable  and  dignified  native,  received  me 
swinging  in  his  hammock.  He  had  six  horses  which  he  would 
furnish  us  the  next  morning,  at  $10  the  head  for  riding  animals, 
and  $6  for  each  100  Ibs.  of  freight.  The  bargain  was  instantly 
concluded. 

Now  came  the  settlement  with  our  boatmen.  In  addition  to 
the  fare,  half  of  which  was  paid  in  Chagres,  we  had  promised 
them  a  gratification ,  provided  they  made  the  voyage  in  three 
days.  The  contract  was  not  exactly  fulfilled,  but  we  thought  it 
best  to  part  friends  and  so  gave  them  each  a  dollar.  Their  an 
tics  of  delight  were  most  laughable.  They  grinned,  laughed, 
danced,  caught  us  by  the  hands,  vowed  eternal  friendship  and 
would  have  embraced  us  outright,  had  we  given  them  the  least 
encouragement.  Half  an  hour  afterwards  I  met  Juan,  in  a  clean 
shirt  and  white  pantaloons.  There  was  a  heat  in  his  eye  and  a 
ruddiness  under  his  black  skin,  which  readily  explained  a  little 
incoherence  in  his  speech.  "  Mi  amigo  /"  he  cried,  "  mi  buen 
amigo  !  give  me  a  bottle  of  beer  !"  I  refused.  "  But,"  said 
he,  "we  are  friends  ;  surely  you  will  give  your  dear  friend  a 
bottle  of  beer."  "  I  don't  like  my  dear  friends  to  drink  too 
much  ;"  I  answered.  Finding  I  would  not  humor  him,  as  a  last 
resort,  he  placed  both  hands  on  his  breast,  and  with  an  imploring 
look,  sang : 

*'  Ten  piedad,  piedad  de  mis  penas, 
Ten  piedad,  piedad  de  mi  amor !" 

I  burst  into  a  laugh  at  this  comical  appeal,  and  he  retreated, 
satisfied  that  he  had  at  least  done  a  smart  thing. 

During  the  afternoon  a  number  of  canoes  arrived,  and  as  it 
grew  dark  the  sound  of  the  wooden  drums  proclaimed  a  fandango 


22  ELDORADO. 

The  aristocracy  of  Gorgona  met  in  the  Alcalde's  house  ;  the 
plebs  on  a  level  sward  before  one  of  the  huts.  The  dances  were 
the  same,  but  there  was  some  attempt  at  style  by  the  former 
class.  The  ladies  were  dressed  in  white  and  pink,  with  flowers  in 
their  hair,  and  waltzed  with  a  slow  grace  to  the  music  of  violins 
and  guitars.  The  Alcalde's  daughters  were  rather  pretty,  and  at 
once  became  favorites  of  the  Americans,  some  of  whom  joined  in 
the  fandango,  and  went  through  its  voluptuous  mazes  at  the  first 
trial,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  natives.  The  Sefiora  Catalina,  a 
rich  widow,  of  pure  Andalusian  blood,  danced  charmingly.  Her 
little  head  was  leaned  coquettishly  on  one  side,  while  with  one  hand 
she  held  aloft  the  fringed  end  of  a  crimson  scarf,  which  rested 
lightly  on  the  opposite  shoulder.  The  dance  over,  she  took  a 
guitar  and  sang,  the  subject  of  her  song  being  "  los  amigos 
Americanos."  There  was  less  sentiment,  but  more  jollity,  at  the 
dances  on  the  grass.  The  only  accompaniment  to  the  wooden 
drums  was  the  "  na*  nn '.,  no,"  of  the  women,  a  nasal  monotone, 
which  few  ears  have  nerve  to  endure.  Those  who  danced 
longest  and  with  the  most  voluptuous  spirit,  had  the  hats  of  all 
the  others  piled  upon  them,  in  token  of  applause.  These  half- 
barbaric  orgies  were  fully  seen  in  the  pure  and  splendid  light 
poured  upon  the  landscape  from  a  vertical  moon. 

Next  morning  at  daybreak  our  horses — tough  little  mustangs, 
which  I  could  almost  step  over — were  at  the  door.  We  started 
off  with  a  guide,  trusting  our  baggage  to  the  honesty  of  our  host, 
who  promised  to  send  it  the  same  day.  A  servant  of  the  Alcalde 
escorted  us  out  of  the  village,  cut  us  each  a  good  stick,  pocketed 
a  real  and  then  left  us  to  plunge  into  the  forests.  The  path  at 
the  outset  was  bad  enough,  but  as  the  wood  grew  deeper  and 
darker  and  the  tough  clay  soil  held  the  rains  which  had  fallen,  it 


RIDING    THROUGH    THE    FORESTS.  23 

became  finally  a  narrow  gully,  filled  with  mud  nearly  to  our  horses' 
bellies.  Descending  the  steep  sides  of  the  hills,  they  would  step 
or  slide  down  almost  precipitous  passes,  bringing  up  all  straight 
at  the  bottom,  and  climbing  the  opposite  sides  like  cats.  So 
strong  is  their  mutual  confidence  that  they  invariably  step  in  each 
other's  tracks,  and  a  great  part  of  the  road  is  thus  worn  into  holea 
three  feet  deep  and  filled  with  water  and  soft  mud,  which  spirta 
upward  as  they  go,  coating  the  rider  from  head  to  foot. 

The  mountain  range  in  the  interior  is  broken  and  irregular. 
The  road  passes  over  the  lower  ridges  and  projecting  spurs  of  the 
main  chain,  covered  nearly  the  whole  distance  to  Panama  by  dense 
forests.  Above  us  spread  a  roof  of  transparent  green,  through 
which  few  rays  of  the  sunlight  fell.  The  only  sounds  in  that  leafy 
wilderness  were  the  chattering  of  monkeys  as  they  cracked  the 
palm-nuts,  and  the  scream  of  parrots,  flying  from  tree  to  tree.  In 
the  deepest  ravines  spent  mules  frequently  lay  dead,  and  high 
above  them,  on  the  large  boughs,  the  bald  vultures  waited  silently 
for  us  to  pass.  We  overtook  many  trains  of  luggage,  packed  on 
the  backs  of  bulls  and  horses,  tied  head-to-tail  in  long  files.  At 
intervals,  on  the  road,  we  saw  a  solitary  ranche,  with  a  cleared 
space  about  it,  but  all  the  natives  could  furnish  us  was  a  cup  of 
thick,  black  coffee. 

After  ascending  for  a  considerable  distance,  in  the  first  half  of 
our  journey,  we  came  to  a  level  table-land,  covered  with  palms, 
with  a  higher  ridge  beyond  it.  Our  horses  climbed  it  with  some 
labor,  went  down  the  other  side  through  clefts  and  gullies 
which  seemed  impassable,  and  brought  us  to  a  stream  of  milky 
blue  water,  which,  on  ascertaining  its  course  with  a  compass,  I 
found  to  be  a  tributary  of  the  Rio  Grande,  flowing  into  the  Pacific  at 
Panoma  We  now  hoped  the  worst  part  of  our  route  was  over, 


24  ELDORADO. 

but  this  was  a  terrible  deception.  Scrambling  up  ravines  of 
slippery  clay,  we  went  for  miles  through  swamps  and  thickets, 
urging  forward  our  jaded  beasts  by  shouting  and  beating.  Going 
down  a  precipitous  bank,  washed  soft  by  the  rains,  my  horse 
slipped  and  made  a  descent  of  ten  feet,  landing  on  one  bank  and 
I  on  another.  He  rose  quietly,  disengaged  his  head  from  the 
mud  and  stood,  flank-deep,  waiting  till  I  stepped  across  his  back 
and  went  forward,  my  legs  lifted  to  his  neck.  This  same  adven 
ture  happened  several  tunes  to  each  of  us  on  the  passage  across. 

As  we  were  leaving  Gorgona,  our  party  was  joined  by  a  long 
Mississippian,  whose  face  struck  me  at  the  first  glance  as  being  pe 
culiarly  cadaverous.  He  attached  himself  to  us  without  the  least 
ceremony,  leaving  his  own  party  behind.  We  had  not  ridden  far 
before  he  told  us  he  had  felt  symptoms  of  cholera  during  the  night, 
and  was  growing  worse.  We  insisted  on  his  returning  to  Gorgona 
at  once,  but  he  refused,  saying  he  was  "  bound  to  go  through." 
At  the  first  ranche  on  the  road  we  found  another  traveler,  lying 
on  the  ground  in  a  state  of  entire  prostration.  He  was  attended 
by  a  friend,  who  seemed  on  the  point  of  taking  the  epidemic,  from 
his  very  fears.  The  sight  of  this  case  no  doubt  operated  on  the 
Mississippian,  for  he  soon  became  so  racked  with  pain  as  to  keep 
his  seat  with  great  difficulty.  We  were  alarmed  ;  it  was  impos 
sible  to  stop  in  the  swampy  forest,  and  equally  impossible  to  leave 
him,  now  that  all  his  dependence  was  on  us.  The  only  thing  re 
sembling  medicine  in  our  possession,  was  a  bottle  of  claret.  It 
was  an  unusual  remedy  for  cholera,  but  he  insisted  on  drinking  it. 

After  urging  forward  our  weary  beasts  till  late  in  the  afternoon, 
we  were  told  that  Panama  was  four  hours  further.  We  pitied  the 
poor  horses,  but  ourselves  more,  and  determined  to  push  ahead. 
After  a  repetition  of  all  our  worst  experience,  we  finally  struck 


<VE    REACH    PANAMA.  25 

the  remains  of  the  paved  road  constructed  by  the  buccaneers  when 
they  held  Panama.  I  now  looked  eagerly  forward  for  the  Pacific, 
but  every  ridge  showed  another  in  advance,  and  it  grew  dark  with 
a  rain  coming  up  Our  horses  avoided  the  hard  pavement  and 
took  by-paths  through  thickets  higher  than  our  heads.  The  cho 
lera-stricken  emigrant,  nothing  helped  by  the  claret  he  drank, 
implored  us,  amid  his  groans,  to  hasten  forward.  Leaning  over 
the  horse's  neck,  he  writhed  on  his  saddle  in  an  agony  of  pain, 
and  seemed  on  the  point  of  falling  at  every  step.  We  were  far  in 
advance  of  our  Indian  guide  and  lost  the  way  more  than  once  in 
the  darkness.  At  last  he  overtook  us,  washed  his  feet  in  a  mud- 
hole,  and  put  on  a  pair  of  pantaloons.  This  was  a  welcome  sign 
to  us,  and  in  fact,  we  soon  after  smelt  the  salt  air  of  the  Pacific, 
and  could  distinguish  huts  on  either  side  of  the  road.  These  gave 
place  to  stone  houses  and  massive  ruined  edifices,  overgrown  with 
vegetation.  We  passed  a  plaza  and  magnificent  church,  rode 
down  an  open  space  fronting  the  bay,  under  a  heavy  gate-way, 
across  another  plaza  and  through  two  or  three  narrow  streets, 
hailed  by  Americans  all  the  way  with  :  "  Are  you  the  Falcon's 
passengers  ?"  "  From  Gorgona  ?"  "  From  Cruces  ?"  till  our 
guide  brought  us  up  at  the  Hotel  Americano. 

Thus  terminated  my  five  days'  journey  across  the  Isthmus — 
decidedly  more  novel,  grotesque  and  adventurous  than  any  trip 
of  similar  length  in  the  world.  It  was  rough  enough,  but  had 
nothing  that  I  could  exactly  call  hardship,  so  much  was  the  fa 
tigue  balanced  by  the  enjoyment  of  unsurpassed  scenery  and  a 
continual  sensation  of  novelty.  In  spite  of  the  many  dolorous 
accounts  which  have  been  sent  from  the  Isthmus,  there  is  nothing, 
at  the  worst  season,  to  deter  any  one  from  the  journey. 

VOL      I.  2 


CHAPTER  III, 

SCENES   IN    PANAMA. 

I  SAW  less  of  Panama  than  I  could  have  wished.  A  few  hasty 
rambles  through  its  ruined  convents  and  colleges  and  grass-grown 
plazas — a  stroll  on  its  massive  battlements,  lumbered  with  idle 
cannon,  of  the  splendid  bronze  of  Barcelona — were  all  that  I  could 
accomplish  in  the  short  stay  of  a  day  and  a  half.  Its  situation  at 
the  base  of  a  broad,  green  mountain,  with  the  sea  washing  three 
sides  of  the  narrow  promontory  on  which  it  is  built,  is  highly  pic 
turesque,  yet  some  other  parts  of  the  bay  seem  better  fitted  for 
the  purposes  of  commerce.  Vessels  of  heavy  draught  cannot 
anchor  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  city,  and  there  is  but  one 
point  where  embarkation,  even  in  the  shallow  "  dug-outs"  of  the 
natives,  is  practicable.  The  bottom  of  the  bay  is  a  bed  of  rock, 
which,  at  low  tide,  lies  bare  far  out  beyond  the  ramparts.  The 
south-eastern  shore  of  the  bay  belongs  to  the  South-American 
Continent,  and  the  range  of  lofty  mountains  behind  it  is  constantly 
wreathed  with  light  clouds,  or  shrouded  from  view  by  the  storms 
which  it  attracts.  To  the  west  the  green  islands  of  Taboga,  and 
others,  rise  behind  one  another,  interrupting  the  blue  curve  of  the 
watery  horizon.  The  city  was  already  half  American.  The  na 
tive  boys  whistled  Yankee  Doodla  through  the  streets,  and  Se- 


PANAMA EMIGRANTS    ARRIVING.  27 

fioritas  of  the  pure  Castilian  blood  sang  the  Ethiopian  melodies 
of  Virginia  to  their  guitars.  Nearly  half  the  faces  seen  were 
American,  and  the  signs  on  shops  of  all  kinds  appeared  in  our 
language.  On  the  morning  after  I  arrived,  I  heard  a  sudden 
rumbling,  in  the  streets,  and  observing  a  general  rush  to  the  win 
dows,  followed  the  crowd  in  time  to  see  the  first  cart  made  in 
Panama — the  work  of  a  Yankee  mechanic,  detained  for  want  of 
money  to  get  further. 

We  found  the  hotels  doing  a  thriving  business,  though  the  fare 
and  attendance  were  alike  indifferent.  We  went  to  bed,  immedi 
ately  after  reaching  the  Hotel  Americano,  that  our  clothes  might 
be  washed  before  morning,  as  our  luggage  had  not  arrived. 
Nearly  all  the  passengers  were  in  a  similar  predicament.  Some 
ladies,  who  had  ridden  over  from  Cruces  in  male  attire,  a  short 
time  previous,  were  obliged  to  sport  their  jackets  and  pantaloons 
several  days  before  receiving  their  dresses.  Our  trust  in  the 
venerable  native  at  Gorgona  was  not  disappointed ;  the  next 
morning  his  mule  was  at  the  door,,  laden  with  our  trunks  and 
valises.  Some  of  the  passengers,  however,  were  obliged  to  re 
main  in  Panama  another  month,  since,  notwithstanding  the  formal 
contract  of  the  Alcalde  of  Gorgona,  their  luggage  did  not  arrive 
before  the  sailing  of  the  steamer. 

The  next  day  nearly  all  of  our  passengers  came  in.  There  had 
been  a  heavy  rain  during  the  night,  and  the  Gorgona  road,  already 
next  to  impassable,  became  actually  perilous.  A  lady  from 
Maine,  who  made  the  journey  alone,  was  obliged  to  ford  a  torrent 
of  water  above  her  waist,  with  a  native  on  each  side,  to  prevent 
her  from  being  carried  away.  A  French  lady  who  crossed  was 
washed  from  her  mule,  and  only  got  over  by  the  united  exertions 
of  seven  men. 


28  ELDORADO. 

The  roads  from  Graces  and  Gorgona  enter  on  the  eastern  side 
of  th3  city,  as  well  as  the  line  of  the  railroad  survey.  The 
latter,  after  leaving  Limon  Bay,  runs  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Chagres  River  till  it  reaches  Gorgona,  continuing  thence  to  Pa 
nama  in  the  same  general  course  as  the  mule  route.  It  will 
probably  be  extended  down  the  Bay  to  some  point  opposite  the 
island  of  Taboga,  which  is  marked  out  by  Nature  as  the  future 
anchorage  ground  and  depot  of  all  the  lines  touching  at  Panama. 
The  engineers  of  the  survey  accomplished  a  great  work  in  fixing 
the  route  within  so  short  a  space  of  time.  The  obstacles  to  be 
overcome  can  scarcely  be  conceived  by  one  who  has  never  seen 
tropical  vegetation  or  felt  tropical  rains.  The  greatest  difficulty 
in  constructing  the  road  is  the  want  of  stone,  though  this  is  in 
some  degree  supplied  by  abundance  of  lignum-vitse  and  other  dur 
able  wood.  The  torrents  of  rain  during  the  summer  season  will 
require  the  side-hill  cuttings  to  be  made  of  unusual  strength. 
The  estimated  cost  of  the  road  appears  small,  especially  when  the 
value  of  labor  is  taken  into  consideration.  The  natives  are  not 
to  be  depended  on,  and  there  is  some  risk  in  taking  men  from  the 
United  States  half  way  to  California. 

Panama  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  cities  on  the  American 
Continent.  Its  rains — if  those  could  be  called  ruins  which  were 
never  completed  edifices — and  the  seaward  view  from  its  ram 
parts,  on  a  bright  morning,  would  ravish  the  eye  of  an  artist. 
Although  small  in  limit,  old  and  terribly  dilapidated,  its  situa 
tion  and  surroundings  are  of  unsurpassable  beauty.  There  is  one 
angle  of  the  walls  where  you  can  look  out  of  a  cracked  watch- 
tower  on  the  sparkling  swells  of  the  Pacific,  ridden  by  flocks  of 
gnow-white  pelicans  and  the  rolling  canoes  of  the  natives — where 
your  vision,  following  the  entire  curve  of  the  Gulf,  takes  in  on 


RUINED    CHURCHES  29 

either  side  nearly  a  hundred  miles  of  shore.  The  ruins  of  the 
Jesuit  Church  of  San  Felipe,  through  which  I  was  piloted  by  my 
friend,  Lieutenant  Beale,  reminded  me  of  the  Baths  of  Caracalla. 
The  majestic  arches  spanning  the  nave  are  laden  with  a  wilder 
ness  of  shrubbery  and  wild  vines  which  fall  like  a  fringe  to  the 
very  floor.  The  building  is  roofless,  but  daylight  can  scarcely 
steal  in  through  the  embowering  leaves.  Several  bells,  of  a  sweet, 
silvery  ring,  are  propped  up  by  beams,  in  a  dark  corner,  but  from 
the  look  of  the  place,  ages  seem  to  have  passed  since  they  called 
the  crafty  brotherhood  to  the  oracion.  A  splendid  College,  left 
incomplete  many  years  ago,  fronts  on  one  of  the  plazas.  Its  Cor 
inthian  pillars  and  pilasters  of  red  sandstone  are  broken  and 
crumbling,  and  from  the  crevices  at  their  base  spring  luxuriant 
bananas,  shooting  their  large  leaves  through  the  windows  and  fold 
ing  them  around  the  columns  of  the  gateway. 

There  were  about  seven  hundred  emigrants  waiting  for  passage, 
when  I  reached  Panama.  All  the  tickets  the  steamer  could  pos 
sibly  receive  had  been  issued  and  so  great  was  the  anxiety  to  get 
on,  that  double  price,  $600,  was  frequently  paid  for  a  ticket  to 
San  Francisco.  A  few  days  before  we  came,  there  was  a  most 
violent  excitement  on  the  subject,  and  as  the  only  way  to  terminate 
the  dispute,  it  was  finally  agreed  to  dispose  by  lot  of  all  the  tick 
ets  for  sale.  The  emigrants  were  all  numbered,  and  those  with 
tickets  for  sailing  vessels  or  other  steamers  excluded.  The  re 
mainder  then  drew,  there  being  fifty-two  tickets  to  near  three 
hundred  passengers.  This  quieted  the  excitement  for  the  time, 
though  there  was  still  a  continual  under-current  of  speculation 
and  intrigue  which  was  curious  to  observe.  The  disappointed 
candidates,  for  the  most  part,  took  passage  in  sailing  vessels,  with 
a  prospect  of  seventy  days'  voyage  before  them.  A  few  months 


30  ELDORADO 

previous,  when  three  thousand  persons  were  waiting  on  the  Isth 
mus,  several  small  companies  started  in  the  log  canoes  of  the 
natives,  thinking  to  reach  San  Francisco  in  them  !  After  a  voy 
age  of  forty  days,  during  which  they  went  no  further  than  thu 
Island  of  Quibo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Grulf,  nearly  all  of  them  re 
turned  ;  the  rest  have  not  since  been  heard  of. 

The  passengers  were  engaged  in  embarking  all  the  afternoon  of 
the  second  day  after  my  arrival.  The  steamer  came  up  to  within 
a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  town,  and  numbers  of  canoes  plied  be 
tween  her  and  the  sea-gateway.  Native  porters  crowded  about 
the  hotels,  clamoring  for  luggage,  which  they  carried  down  to  the 
shore  under  so  fervent  a  heat  that  I  was  obliged  to  hoist  my 
umbrella.  One  of  the  boatmen  lifted  me  over  the  swells  for  the 
sake  of  a  media,  and  I  was  soon  gliding  out  along  the  edge  of  the 
breakers,  startling  the  pelicans  that  flew  in  long  lines  over  the 
water.  I  was  well  satisfied  to  leave  Panama  at  the  time ;  the 
cholera,  which  had  already  carried  off  one-fourth  of  the  native 
population,  was  making  havoc  among  the  Americans,  and  several 
of  the  Falcon's  passengers  lay  at  the  point  of  death. 


CHAPTER  IV, 

THE    PACIFIC    COAST    OF    MEXICO. 

THE  following  morning,  at  eleven  o'clock,  the  last  canoe-load 
of  mails  came  on  board.  Ten  minutes  afterwards  our  parting 
gun  was  fired,  and  its  echoes  had  not  died  away  when  the  paddles 
were  in  motion  and  the  boat  heading  for  Taboga.  We  ran  past 
several  steep  volcanic  islands,  matted  in  foliage,  and  in  an  hour 
came-to  before  Taboga,  which  is  to  Panama  what  Capri  is  to 
Naples,  only  that  it  is  far  more  beautiful.  In  the  deep  ana 
secure  roadstead  one  may  throw  a  stone  from  the  ship's  deck  into 
the  gardens  of  orange  and  tamarind  fringing  the  beach.  The 
village  lies  beside  a  cocoa  grove  in  a  sheltered  corner,  at  the  foot 
of  hills  which  rise  in  terraces  of  luxuriant  vegetation  to  the 
height  of  a  thousand  feet.  The  mass  of  palm,  cocoa,  banana 
and  orange  trees  is  unbroken  from  the  summit  to  the  water's 
edge.  The  ravine  behind  the  village  contains  an  unfailing  spring 
of  sweet  water,  from  which  all  vessels  touching  at  Panama  are 
supplied.  The  climate  is  delightful  and  perfectly  healthy. 

The  steamer  Oregon  was  lying  high  and  dry  on  the  beach, 
undergoing  repairs,  having  injured  her  keel  by  running  on  a  rock 
during  the  voyage  down.  The  remarkable  adaptation  of  Taboga 
for  a  dry  dock  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  while  at  high  tide  the 


32  ELDORADO. 

Oregon  floated,  at  low  tide  one  might  walk  around  her  on  dry 
ground ;  by  building  two  walls  and  a  gate  in  front,  the  dry  dock 
would  be  complete.  This  is  the  only  place  between  Cape  Horn 
and  San  Francisco  where  such  a  thing  is  possible.  These  un 
rivaled  advantages,  as  well  as  the  healthiness  of  Taboga  and  its 
splendid  scenery,  point  it  out  as  the  stopping-place  for  steamers 
and  passengers,  if  not  the  commercial  depot  of  this  part  of  the 
Pacific. 

A  voyage  from  Panama  to  San  Francisco  in  the  year  1849,  can 
hardly  be  compared  to  sea-life  in  any  other  part  of  the  world  or 
at  any  previous  period.  Our  vessel  was  crowded  fore  and  aft : 
exercise  was  rendered  quite  impossible  and  sleep  was  each  night 
a  new  experiment,  for  the  success  of  which  we  were  truly  grateful. 
We  were  roused  at  daylight  by  the  movements  on  deck,  if  not 
earlier,  by  the  breaking  of  a  hammock-rope  and  the  thump  and 
yell  of  the  unlucky  sleeper.  Coffee  was  served  in  the  cabin ;  but, 
as  many  of  the  passengers  imagined  that,  because  they  had  paid  a 
high  price  for  their  tickets,  they  were  conscientiously  obligated  to 
drink  three  cups,  the  late-comers  got  a  very  scanty  allowance. 
The  breakfast  hour  was  nine,  and  the  table  was  obliged  to  be  fully 
set  twice.  At  the  first  tingle  of  the  bell,  all  hands  started  as  if  a 
shot  had  exploded  among  them  ;  conversation  was  broken  off  in 
the  middle  of  a  word  ;  the  deck  was  instantly  cleared,  and  the 
passengers,  tumbling  pell-mell  down  the  cabin-stairs,  found  every 
seat  taken  by  others  who  had  probably  been  sitting  in  them  for 
half  an  hour.  The  bell,  however,  had  an  equally  convulsive  effect 
upon  these.  There  was  a  confused  grabbing  motion  for  a  few 
seconds,  and  lo  !  the  plates  were  cleared.  A  chicken  parted  in 
twain  as  if  by  magic,  each  half  baping  into  an  opposite  plate  ; 
a  dish  of  sweet  potatoes  vanished  before  a  single  hand  ;  beefsteak 


MEAL-TIME    ON    THE    STEAMER.  3,. 

flew  in  all  directions  ;  and  while  about  half  the  passengers  had  all 
their  breakfast  piled  at  once  upon  their  plates,  the  other  half  were 
regaled  by  a  "  plentiful  lack."  The  second  table  was  but  a  repe 
tition  of  these  scenes,  which  dinner — our  only  additional  meal — 
renewed  in  the  afternoon.  To  prevent  being  driven,  in  self-defence, 
into  the  degrading  habit,  eight  of  us  secured  one  end  of  the  second 
table,  shut  off  by  the  mizen-mast  from  the  long  arms  that  might 
otherwise  have  grabbed  our  share.  Among  our  company  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  there  were,  of  course,  many  gentlemen  of  marked 
refinement  and  intelligence  from  various  parts  of  the  Union — 
enough,  probably,  to  leaven  the  large  lump  of  selfishness  and 
blackguardism  into  which  we  were  thrown.  I  believe  the  control 
ling  portion  of  the  California  emigration  is  intelligent,  orderly  and 
peaceable  ;  yet  I  never  witnessed  so  many  disgusting  exhibitions 
of  the  lowest  passions  of  humanity,  as  during  the  voyage.  At  sea 
or  among  the  mountains,  men  completely  lose  the  little  arts  of  dis 
simulation  they  practise  in  society.  They  show  in  their  true  light, 
and  very  often,  alas  !  in  a  light  little  calculated  to  encourage  the 
enthusiastic  believer  in  the  speedy  perfection  of  our  race. 

The  day  after  leaving  Panama  we  were  in  sight  of  the 
promontory  of  Yeraguas  and  the  island  of  Quibo,  off  Central 
America.  It  is  a  grand  coast,  with  mountain  ranges  piercing  the 
clouds.  Then,  for  several  days,  we  gave  the  continent  a  wide 
berth,  our  course  making  a  chord  to  the  arc  of  the  Grulf  of 
Tehuantepec.  The  sea  was  perfectly  tranquil,  and  we  were  not 
molested  by  the  inexorable  demon  that  lodges  in  the  stomachs  of 
landsmen.  Why  has  never  a  word  been  said  or  sung  about 
sunset  on  the  Pacific  ?  Nowhere  on  this  earth  can  one  be  over- 
vaulted  with  such  a  glory  of  colors.  The  sky,  with  a  ground-hue 
of  rose  towards  the  west  and  purple  towards  the  east,  is  mottled 
2* 


34  ELDORADO 

and  flecked  over  all  its  surface  with  light  clouds,  running  through 
every  shade  of  crimson,  amber,  violet  and  russet-gold.  There  is 
no  dead  duskiness  opposite  the  sunken  sun  ;  the  whole  vast  shell 
of  the  firmament  glows  with  an  equal  radiance,  reduplicating  its 
hues  on  the  glassy  sea,  so  that  we  seem  floating  in  a  hollow  sphere 
of  prismatic  crystal.  The  cloud-strata,  at  different  heights  in 
the  air,  take  different  coloring  ;  through  bars  of  burning  carmine 
one  may  look  on  the  soft,  rose-purple  folds  of  an  inner  curtain, 
and,  far  within  and  beyond  that,  on  the  clear  amber-green  of  the 
immaculate  sky.  As  the  light  diminishes,  these  radiant  vapors 
sink  and  gather  into  flaming  pyramids,  between  whose  pinnacles 
the  serene  depth  of  air  is  of  that  fathomless  violet-green  which 
we  see  in  the  skies  of  Titian. 

The  heat,  during  this  part  of  the  voyage,  was  intolerable. 
The  thermometer  ranged  from  82°  to  84°  at  night,  and  86°  to 
90°  by  day — a  lower  temperature  than  we  frequently  feel  in  the 
North,  but  attended  by  an  enervating  languor  such  as  I  never 
before  experienced.  Under  its  influence  one's  energies  flag, 
active  habits  of  mind  are  thrown  aside,  the  imagination  grows 
faint  and  hazy,  the  very  feelings  and  sensibilities  are  melted  and 
weakened.  Once,  I  panted  for  the  heat  and  glare  and  splendid 
luxuriance  of  tropical  lands,  till  I  almost  made  the  god  of  the 
Persians  my  own.  I  thought  some  southern  star  must  have  been 
in  the  ascendant  at  my  birth,  some  glowing  instinct  of  the  South 
been  infused  into  my  nature.  Two  months  before,  the  thought  of 
riding  on  that  summer  sea,  with  the  sun  over  the  mast-head, 
would  have  given  a  delicious  glow  to  iny  fancy.  But  all  my  vision 
of  life  in  the  tropics  vanished  before  the  apathy  engendered  by 
this  heat.  The  snowy,  bleak  and  sublime  North  beckoned  me 
like  a  mirage  over  tlie  receding  seas.  Gods  !  how  a  single  sough 


A    MIDNIGHT    CALL    AT    ACAPULCO.  35 

of  keen  north-west  wind  down  some  mountain  gorge  would  have 
beaten  a  march  of  exulting  energy  to  my  spirit !  how  my  veina 
would  have  tingled  to  the  sound,  and  my  nerves  stiffened  in  the 
healthy  embraces  of  that  ruder  air  ! 

After  a  week  of  this  kind  of  existence  we  passed  the  sun's 
latitude,  and  made  the  mountains  of  Mexico.  The  next  night 
we  came-to  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Acapulco,  while  the 
ship's  boat  went  to  the  city,  some  two  miles  distant.  In  about 
two  hours  it  returned,  bringing  us  word  that  thirty  or  forty 
Americans  were  waiting  passage,  most  of  whom  were  persons  who 
had  left  Panama  in  the  Humboldt  in  March,  and  who  had  already 
been  three  months  in  port.  Captain  Bailey  determined  to  take 
them  on  board,  and  the  Panama  felt  her  way  in  through  the 
dark,  narrow  entrance. 

It  was  midnight.  The  beautiful  mountain-locked  basin  on 
which  Acapulco  is  built  was  dimly  visible  under  the  clouded 
moon,  but  I  could  discern  on  one  side  the  white  walls  of  the 
Fort  on  a  rocky  point,  with  the  trees  of  the  Alameda  behind 
it,  and  still  further  the  lights  of  the  town  glittering  along  the  hill. 
As  we  approached  the  Fort  we  were  hailed,  but  as  a  response 
was  not  immediately  made  the  light  was  suddenly  extinguished. 
Some  one  called  out  "fuero  I  fuero  /"  (outside  !)  and  our  boat, 
which  had  been  sent  out  a  second  time,  returned,  stating  that  a 
file  of  soldiers  drawn  up  on  the  beach  had  opposed  any  landing. 
It  was  followed  by  another,  with  four  oars,  containing  a  messen 
ger  from  the  Governor,  who  announced  to  us,  in  good  English, 
that  we  were  not  allowed  to  come  so  near  the  town,  but  must  lie 
off  in  the  channel ;  the  cholera,  they  had  learned,  was  at  Panama, 
and  quarantine  regulations  had  been  established  at  Acapulco 
This  order  was  repeated,  and  the  Panama  then  moved  to  the  other 


36  ELDORADO. 

side  of  the  harbor  The  boat,  however,  came  out  again, 
bringing  a  declaration  from  the  Governor  that  if  we  did  not 
instantly  fall  back  to  a  certain  channel  between  two  islands,  we 
should  be  fired  upon.  Kather  than  get  into  a  quarrel  with  the 
alarmed  authorities  or  be  subjected  to  delay,  we  got  under  way 
again,  and  by  sunrise  were  forty  miles  nearer  San  Bias. 

We  had  on  board  a  choice  gang  of  blacklegs,  among  whom 
were  several  characters  of  notoriety  in  the  United  States,  going 
out  to  extend  the  area  of  their  infernal  profession.  About  a 
dozen  came  on  from  New  Orleans  by  the  Falcon  and  as  many 
from  New  York  by  the  Crescent  City.  They  established  a  branch 
at  Panama,  immediately  on  their  arrival,  and  two  or  three 
remained  to  take  charge  of  it.  They  did  not  commence  very 
fortunately  ;  their  first  capital  of  $500  having  been  won  in  one 
night  by  a  lucky  padre.  Most  of  them,  with  the  devil's  luck, 
drew  prizes  in  the  ticket  lottery,  while  worthy  men  were  left 
behind.  After  leaving  Acapulco,  they  commenced  playing  monte 
on  the  quarter-deck,  and  would  no  doubt  have  entrapped  some 
unwary  passengers,  had  not  the  Captain  put  a  stop  to  their 
operations.  These  characters  have  done  much,  by  their  conduct 
on  the  Isthmus  and  elsewhere,  to  earn  for  us  the  title  of 
"Northern  barbarians,"  and  especially,  by  wantonly  offending 
the  religious  sentiment  of  the  natives.  I  was  told  of  four  who 
entered  one  of  the  churches  with  their  hats  pulled  fast  over  their 
brows,  and,  marching  deliberately  up  the  aisle,  severally  lighted 
their  cigars  at  the  four  tapers  of  the  altar.  The  class  was  known 
to  all  on  board  and  generally  shunned. 

There  is  another  class  of  individuals  whom  I  would  recommend 
travelers  to  avoid.  I  saw  several  specimens  on  the  Isthmus. 
They  are  miserable,  melancholy  men,  ready  to  yield  up  their  last 


THE    MEXICAN    COAST.  37 

breath  at  any  moment.  They  left  home  prematurely,  and  now 
humbly  acknowledge  their  error.  They  were  not  made  for  travel 
ing,  but  they  did  not  know  it  before.  If  you  would  dig  a  hole 
and  lay  them  in  it,  leaving  only  their  heads  above  ground,  they 
would  be  perfectly  contented.  Let  them  alone ;  do  not  even 
express  your  sympathy.  Then  then*  self-pity  will  change  to  in 
dignation  at  your  cold-heartedness,  and  they  will  take  care  of 
themselves  for  very  spite. 

Our  track,  now,  was  along  and  near  the  coast — a  succession  of 
lofty  mountain  ranges,  rising  faint  and  blue  through  belts  of 
ploud.  Through  a  glass,  they  appeared  rugged  and  abrupt,  scarred 
with  cleep  ravines  and  divided  by  narrow  gorges,  yet  exhibiting, 
nearly  to  their  summits,  a  rich  clothing  of  forests.  The  shore  is 
iron-bound  and  lined  with  breakers,  yet  there  are  many  small  bays 
and  coves  which  afford  shelter  to  fishing  and  coasting  vessels  and 
support  a  scanty  population.  The  higher  peaks  of  the  inland 
chain  are  occasionally  seen  when  the  atmosphere  is  clear.  One 
morning  the  Volcano  of  Colima,  distant  ninety  miles  "  as  the 
bird  flies,"  came  into  sight,  shooting  its  forked  summits  far  above 
the  nearer  ranges.  It  is  in  the  province  of  Jalisco,  near  Lake 
Chapala,  and  is  16,000  feet  in  height — a  greater  than  Mounl 
Blanc  !  I  was  delighted  with  Cuba  and  the  Isthmus,  but  forgot 
them  at  once  when  I  viewed  the  grand  outline  of  this  coast,  the 
only  approach  to  which  is  seen  in  the  Maritime  Alps,  on  leaving 
Genoa. 

On  the  third  morning  from  Acapulco,  we  saw  the  lofty  group 
of  mountains  bounding  the  roadstead  of  San  Bias  on  the  East. 
The  islands  called  Las  Tres  Marias  were  visible,  ten  miles  dis 
tant,  on  our  left.  They  are  too  small  and  scattering  to  break  the 
heavy  seas  and  "  southers"  which  come  in  tc  the  very  end  of  the 


38  ELDORADO. 

bight  on  which  San  Bias  is  built.  Vessels  of  light  draught  may 
run  across  a  narrow  bar  between  breakers  and  find  safe  anchor 
age  in  a  little  inlet  on  the  northern  side,  but  those  which  are 
obliged  to  lie  in  the  open  road  are  exposed  to  considerable  danger. 
A  high  white  rock,  of  singular  form,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  shore,  serves  as  a  landmark  for  vessels.  The  village 
which  is  a  little  larger  than  Chagres,  and  like  it  a  collection  of 
cane  huts  with  a  few  stone  houses,  lies  on  one  side  of  the  inlet 
before  mentioned,  on  flat  swampy  ground,  and  surrounded  by  rank 
forests  and  jungles.  A  mile  behind  it,  on  a  high,  precipitou? 
rock,  is  the  Presidio  of  San  Bias,  now  almost  deserted,  all  busi 
ness  being  transacted  at  the  village  on  shore. 

We  came-to,  a  mile  from  the  place,  and  were  soon  after  visited 
by  the  Alcalde,  who,  after  exchanging  the  ordinary  courtesies  in 
formed  us  there  were  plenty  of  provisions  on  shore,  and  departed, 
saying  nothing  of  quarantine.  A  flock  of  cayucas,  paddled  by 
the  natives,  followed  him  and  swarmed  around  us,  ready  to  take 
passengers  at  three  rials  apiece.  Three  or  four  of  us  took  one  of 
these  craft,  and  were  paddled  ashore,  running  on  the  edge  of  the 
breakers  which  roared  and  dashed  along  the  mouth  of  the  inlet. 
We  landed  on  a  beach,  ancle-deep  in  sand  and  covered  with  mus 
tangs,  mules  and  donkeys,  with  a  sprinkling  of  natives.  Our 
passengers  were  busy  all  over  the  village,  lugging  strings  of 
bananas  and  plantains,  buying  cool  water-jars  of  porous  earth, 
gathering  limes  and  oranges  from  the  trees,  or  regaling  themselves 
at  the  fondas  with  fresh  spring-water,  (not  always  unmixed,) 
tortillas  and  fried  pork.  Several  gentlemen  who  had  come  over 
land  from  Vera  Cruz,  awaited  our  arrival,  and  as  the  place  was 
very  unhealthy  they  were  not  long  in  embarking 

In  company  with   some  friends,  I   set  out  for  the  old  Presidio 


THE    OLD    PRESIDIO    OF    SAN    BLAS.  39 

on  the  cliff  The  road  led  through  swampy  forests  till  we  reached 
the  foot  of  the  ascent.  A  native  passed  us,  on  a  sharp-trotting 
mule  :  "  Donde  va,  kombre  ?"  "  Tepic,"  was  his  answer.  Up 
we  went,  scrambling  over  loose  stones,  between  banana  thickets 
and  flowering  shrubs,  till  we  gained  a  rocky  spur  near  the  summit. 
Here  the  view  to  the  north,  toward  Mazatlan,  was  very  fine. 
Across  the  marshy  plain  many  leagues  in  breadth,  bordering  the 
sea,  we  traced  the  Rio  Grande  of  the  West  by  the  groves  of  syca 
more  on  its  banks  ;  beyond  it  another  lateral  chain  of  the  Sierra 
Madre  rose  to  the  clouds.  Turning  again,  we  entered  a  deserted 
court-yard,  fronted  by  the  fort,  which  had  a  covered  gallery  on  the 
inside.  The  walls  were  broken  down,  the  deep  wells  in  the  rock 
choked  up  and  the  stone  pillars  and  gateways  overrun  with  rank 
vines.  From  the  parapet,  the  whole  roadstead  of  San  Bias  lay 
at  our  feet,  and  our  steamer,  two  miles  off,  seemed  to  be  within 
hail. 

This  plaza  opened  on  another  and  larger  one,  completely  covered 
with  tall  weeds,  among  which  the  native  pigs  rooted  and  meditated 
by  turns.  A  fine  old  church,  at  the  farther  end,  was  going  to  ruin, 
and  the  useless  bells  still  hung  in  its  towers.  Some  of  the  houses 
were  inhabited,  and  we  procured  from  the  natives  fresh  water  and 
delicious  bananas.  The  aspect  of  the  whole  place,  picturesque  in 
its  desolation,  impressed  me  more  than  anything  on  the  journey, 
except  the  church  of  San  Felipe,  at  Panama.  The  guns  of  the 
Presidio  were  spiked  by  Commander  Dupont,  during  the  war ; 
there  has  been  no  garrison  there  for  many  years. 

We  descended  again,  made  our  purchases  of  fruit,  and  reached 
the  beach  just  as  the  steamer's  gun  signalized  us  to  return.  The 
cayuca  in  which  we  embarked  was  a  round  log,  about  ten  feet  long, 
rolling  over  the  swells  with  a  ticklish  facility.  We  lay  flat  in 


40  ELDORADO. 

*Jie  bottom,  not  daring  to  stir  hand  or  foot  for  fear  of  losing 
«ie  exact  balance  which  kept  us  upright,  and  finally  reached  the 
gangway,  where  we  received  a  sound  cursing  from  one  of  the 
ship's  crew  for  trusting  ourselves  in  such  a  craft.  A  dozen 
others,  pulling  for  life,  came  behind  us,  followed  by  a  launch 
bringing  two  live  bullocks  for  our  provender.  A  quarrel  broke 
out  between  one  of  our  new  passengers  and  a  native,  in  which 
blows  were  exchanged.  The  question  was  then  raised  "  whether 
a  nigger  was  as  good  as  a  white  man,"  and  like  the  old  feuds  of 
the  Bianchi  and  the  Neri  in  Tuscany,  the  contest  raged  fiercely 
for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

The  morning  mist  rose  from  the  summits  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
of  Durango.  As  we  neared  Mazatlan,  a  light  smoke  was  discerned 
far  on  our  left ;  and  we  had  not  been  long  in  the  harbor  before  the 
California  came  rounding  in,  her  passengers  cheering  us  as  she 
passed  and  dropped  anchor  between  us  and  the  town.  She  looked 
somewhat  weather-beaten,  but  was  a  pleasant  sight  to  our  eyes. 
Conversation  was  kept  up  between  the  two  ships  so  long  as  they 
were  in  hearing,  the  Panama's  passengers  inquiring  anxiously 
about  the  abundance  of  gold,  and  the  Californians  assuring  them 
that  it  was  as  plenty  as  ever. 

Few  ports  present  a  more  picturesque  appearance  from  the  sea 
than  Mazatlan.  The  hart  or,  or  roadstead,  open  on  the  west  to 
the  unbroken  swells  of  the  Pacific,  is  protected  on  the  north  and 
south  by  what  were  once  mountain  promontories,  now  split  into 
parallel  chains  of  islands,  separated  by  narrow  channels  of  sea 
Their  sides  are  scarred  with  crags,  terminating  toward  the  sea  in 
precipices  of  dark  red  rock,  with  deep  caverns  at  the  base,  into 
which  the  surf  continually  dashes.  On  approaching  the  road, 
these  islands  open  one  beyond  the  other,  like  a  succession  of  shift- 


TOUCHING    AT    MAZATLAN.  41 

ing  views,  the  last  revealing  tlie  white  walls  of  Mazatlan,  rising 
gradually  from  the  water,  with  a  beautiful  back-ground  of  dim  blue 
mountains.  The  sky  was  of  a  dazzling  purity,  and  the  whole 
scene  had  that  same  clearness  of  outline  and  enchanting  harmony 
of  color  which  give  the  landscapes  of  Italy  their  greatest  charm. 
As  we  ran  westward  on  the  Tropic  of  Cancer  across  the  mouth  of 
the  Gulf,  nothing  could  exceed  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE    COAST    OF    CALIFORNIA 

"  There  is  California !"  was  the  cry  next  morning  at  sunrise. 
4  Where  ?"  "  Off  the  starboard  bow."  I  rose  on  my  bunk  in 
one  of  the  deck  state-rooms,  and  looking  out  of  the  window,  watched 
the  purple  mountains  of  the  Peninsula,  as  they  rose  in  the  fresh, 
inspiring  air.  We  were  opposite  its  southern  extremity,  and  I 
scanned  the  brown  and  sterile  coast  with  a  glass,  searching  for 
anything  like  vegetation.  The  whole  country  appeared  to  be  a 
mass  of  nearly  naked  rock,  nourishing  only  a  few  cacti  and  some 
stunted  shrubs.  At  the  extreme  end  of  the  Peninsula  the  valley 
of  San  Jose  opens  inland  between  two  ranges  of  lofty  granite 
mountains.  Its  beautiful  green  level,  several  miles  in  width, 
stretched  back  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The  town  lies  near 
the  sea  ;  it  is  noted  for  the  siege  sustained  by  Lieut.  Haywood  and 
a  small  body  of  American  troops  during  the  war.  Lying  deep 
amid  the  most  frightfully  barren  and  rugged  mountains  I  ever  saw, 
the  valley  of  San  Jose  which  is  watered  by  a  small  river,  might 
be  made  a  paradise.  The  scenery  around  it  corresponded  strik 
ingly  with  descriptions  of  Syria  and  Palestine.  The  bare,  yellow 
crags  glowed  in  the  sun  with  dazzling  intensity,  and  a  chain  of 
splintered  peaks  in  the  distance  wore  the  softest  shade  of  violet 


A    TREACHEROUS    COAST.  43 

In  spite  of  the  forbidding  appearance  of  the  coast,  a  more  peculiar 
and  interesting  picture  than  it  gave  can  hardly  be  found  on  the 
Pacific.  Cape  San  Lucas,  which  we  passed  toward  evening,  is  a 
bold  bluff  of  native  granite,  broken  into  isolated  rocks  at  its  points, 
which  present  the  appearance  of  three  distinct  and  perfectly-formed 
pyramids.  The  white,  glistening  rock  is  pierced  at  its  base  by 
hollow  caverns  and  arches,  some  of  which  are  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  high,  giving  glimpses  of  the  ocean  beyond.  The  structure  of 
this  cape  is  very  similar  to  that  of  The  Needles  on  the  Isle  of 
Wight. 

On  the  12th  of  August  we  passed  the  island  of  Santa  Marguerita, 
lying  across  the  mouth  of  a  bay,  the  upper  extremity  of  which  is 
called  Point  San  Lazaro.  Here,  the  outline  of  the  coast,  as  laid 
down  on  the  charts  in  use,  is  very  incorrect.  The  longitude  is 
not  only  placed  too  far  eastward  by  twenty  to  thirty  miles,  but  an 
isolated  mountain,  rising  from  the  sea,  eight  miles  northwest  of 
Point  San  Lazaro,  is  entirely  wanting.  This  mountain — a  summit 
of  barren  rock,  five  miles  in  length  and  about  a  thousand  feet  in 
hight,  is  connected  with  the  coast  by  a  narrow  belt  of  sand,  form 
ing  a  fine  bay,  twelve  miles  deep,  curving  southward  till  it  strikes 
Point  San  Lazaro.  The  northern  point  of  the  headland  is  bor 
dered  by  breakers,  beyond  which  extends  a  shoal.  Here  the 
current  sets  strongly  in  shore,  and  here  it  was  that  a  whale-ship 
was  lost  a  few  months  since,  her  crew  escaping  to  wander  for  days 
on  an  arid  desert,  without  water  or  vegetation.  The  Panama,  on 
her  downward  trip,  ran  on  the  shoal  and  was  obliged  to  lay-to  all 
night ;  in  the  morning,  instead  of  the  open  sea  promised  by  the 
chart,  the  crags  of  the  unknown  headland  rose  directly  in  front  of 
her.  The  coast,  as  far  as  I  could  see  with  a  good  glass,  presented 
an  unbroken  level  of  glaring  white  sand,  which  must  extend  in- 


44  ELDORADO. 

land  for  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  since,  under  the  clearest  of  skies,  no 
sign  of  rock  or  distant  peak  was  visible.  The  appearance  of  the 
whole  Peninsula,  in  passing — the  alternations  of  bleak  mountain, 
blooming  plain  and  wide  salt  desert — the  rumors  of  vast  mineral 
wealth  in  its  unknown  interior  and  the  general  want  of  intelligence 
in  relation  to  it — conspired  to  excite  in  me  a  strong  wish  to  tra 
verse  it  from  end  to  end. 

The  same  evening  we  doubled  Cape  San  Lucas,  we  met  the 
ship  Grey  Eagle,  of  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  first  of  the  California 
squadron.  She  was  on  her  way  from  San  Francisco  to  Mazatlan, 
with  two  hundred  passengers  on  board,  chiefly  Mexicans.  Three 
cheers  were  given  and  returned,  as  the  vessels  passed  each  other. 
The  temperature  changed,  as  we  left  the  tropics  behind  and  met 
the  north-western  trades  ;  the  cool  winds  drove  many  passengers 
from  the  deck,  and  the  rest  of  us  had  some  chance  for  exercise. 
All  were  in  the  best  spirits,  at  the  prospect  of  soon  reaching  our 
destination,  and  the  slightest  thread  of  incident,  whereto  a  chance 
for  amusement  might  be  hung,  was  eagerly  caught  up.  There 
was  on  board  a  man  of  rather  grave  demeanor,  who,  from  the 
circumstance  of  having  his  felt  hat  cocked  up  like  a  general's, 
wearing  it  square  across  his  brows  and  standing  for  long  whiles 
with  his  arms  folded,  in  a  meditative  attitude,  had  been  generally 
nicknamed  "  Napoleon."  There  was  no  feature  of  his  face  like 
rthe  great  Corsican's,  but  from  the  tenacity  with  which  he  took  hia 
stand  on  the  mizen-yard  and  folded  his  arms  every  evening,  thtf 
passengers  supposed  he  really  imagined  a  strong  resemblance 
One  of  those  days,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief,  they  bought  a  felt  hat, 
gave  it  the  same  cocked  shape,  and  bribed  one  of  the  negro  cooks 
to  wear  it  and  take  off  Napoleon.  Accordingly,  as  the  latter  be 
gan  ascending  the  shrouds  to  his  favorite  post,  the  cook  went  up 


HARBOR    OF    SAN    DIEGO.  45 

the  opposite  side.  Napoleon  sat  down  on  the  yard,  braced  him« 
self  against  the  inast  and  folded  his  arms  ;  the  cook,  slyly  watch 
ing  his  motions,  imitated  them  with  a  gravity  which  was  irresistible. 
All  the  passengers  were  by  this  time  gathered  on  the  quarter 
deck,  shouting  with  laughter :  it  was  singular  how  much  merri 
ment  so  boyish  a  trick  could  occasion.  Napoleon  bore  it  for  a 
time  with  perfect  stolidity,  gazing  on  the  sunset  with  unchanged 
solemnity  of  visage.  At  last,  getting  tired  of  the  affair,  he  looked 
down  on  the  crowd  and  said  :  "  you  have  sent  me  a  very  fit 
representative  of  yourselves."  The  laugh  was  stopped  suddenly, 
and  from  that  time  forth  Napoleon  was  not  disturbed  in  his 
musings. 

The  only  other  point  of  interest  which  we  saw  on  the  Peninsu 
lar  coast,  was  Benito  Island,  off  the  Bay  of  Sebastian  Viscaino, 
so  named,  after  the  valiant  discoverer  of  California.  Two  morn 
ings  after,  I  saw  the  sun  rise  behind  the  mountains  back  of  San 
Diego.  Point  Loma,  at  the  extremity  of  the  bay,  came  in  sight 
on  the  left,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  we  were  at  anchor  before  the 
hide-houses  at  the  landing  place.  The  southern  shore  of  the  bay 
is  low  and  sandy ;  from  the  bluff  hights  on  the  opposite  side  a 
narrow  strip  of  shingly  beach  makes  out  into  the  sea,  like  a  na 
tural  breakwater,  leaving  an  entrance  not  more  than  three  hundred 
yards  broad.  The  harbor  is  the  finest  on  the  Pacific,  with  the 
exception  of  Acapulco,  and  capable  of  easy  and  complete  de 
fense.  The  old  hide-houses  are  built  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  just 
inside  the  bay,  and  a  fine  road  along  the  shore  leads  to  the  town 
of  San  Diego,  which  is  situated  on  a  plain,  three  miles  distant 
and  barely  visible  from  the  anchorage.  Above  the  houses,  on  a 
little  eminence,  several  tents  were  planted,  and  a  short  distance 
further  were  several  recent  graves,  surrounded  by  paling.  A 


46  ELDORAJ90. 

number  of  people  were  clustered  on  tho  beach,  and  boats  laden 
with  passengers  and  freight,  instantly  put  off  to  us.  In  a  few 
minutes  after  our  gun  was  fired,  we  could  see  horsemen  coming 
down  from  San  Diego  at  full  gallop,  one  of  whom  carried  behind 
him  a  lady  in  graceful  riding  costume.  In  the  first  boat  were 
Colonel  Weller,  U.  S.  Boundary  Commissioner,  and  Major  Hill, 
of  the  Army.  Then  followed  a  number  of  men,  lank  and  brown 
"  as  is  the  ribbed  sea-sand" — men  with  long  hair  and  beards,  and 
faces  from  which  the  rigid  expression  of  suffering  was  scarcely 
relaxed.  They  were  the  first  of  the  overland  emigrants  by  the 
Gila  route,  who  had  reached  San  Diego  a  few  days  before.  Their 
clothes  were  in  tatters,  their  boots,  in  many  cases,  replaced  by 
moccasins,  and,  except  their  rifles  and  some  small  packages  rolled 
in  deerskin,  they  had  nothing  left  of  the  abundant  stores  with 
which  they  left  home. 

We  hove  anchor  in  half  an  hour,  and  again  rounded  Point 
Loma,  our  number  increased  by  more  than  fifty  passengers.  The 
Point,  which  comes  down  to  the  sea  at  an  angle  of  60  °  has  been 
lately  purchased  by  an  American,  for  what  purpose  I  cannot  im 
agine,  unless  it  is  with  the  hope  of  speculating  on  Government 
when  it  shall  be  wanted  for  a  light-house.  In  the  afternoon  we 
passed  the  island  of  Santa  Catalina,  which  is  about  twelve  miles 
in  length,  rising  to  a  height  of  3,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  in 
habited  by  herds  of  wild  goats.  Santa  Cruz  and  Santa  Rosa, 
which  lie  opposite  Santa  Barbara  and  separated  from  it  by  the 
channel  of  the  same  name,  were  left  behind  us  in  the  night,  and 
the  next  day  we  were  off  Cape  Conception,  the  Cape  Horn  of  Cali 
fornia.  True  to  its  character,  we  had  a  cold,  dense  fog,  and 
violent  head-winds ;  the  coast  was  shrouded  from  sight. 

The  emigrants  we  took  on  board  at  San  Diego  were  objects  of 


NARRATIVES    OF    EMIGRATION  47 

general  interest.  The  stories  of  their  adventures  by  the  way 
sounded  more  marvellous  than  anything  I  had  heard  or  read 
since  my  boyish  acquaintance  with  Robinson  Crusoe,  Captain 
Cook  and  John  Ledyard.  Taking  them  as  the  average  ex 
perience  of  the  thirty  thousand  emigrants  who  last  year  crossed 
the  Plains,  this  California  Crusade  will  more  than  equal  the  great 
military  expeditions  of  the  Middle  Ages  in  magnitude,  peril  and 
adventure.  The  amount  of  suffering  which  must  have  been 
endured  in  the  savage  mountain  passes  and  herbless  deserts  of  tho 
interior,  cannot  be  told  in  words.  Some  had  come  by  way  of 
Santa  Fe  and  along  the  savage  hills  of  the  Gila ;  some,  starting 
from  Red  River,  had  crossed  the  Great  Stake  Desert  and  taken 
the  road  from  Paso  del  Norte  to  Tueson  in  Sonora ;  some  had 
passed  through  Mexico  and  after  spending  one  hundred  and  four 
days  at  sea,  run  into  San  Diego  and  given  up  their  vessel ;  some 
had  landed,  weary  with  a  seven  months'  psssage  around  Cape 
Horn,  and  some,  finally,  had  reached  the  place  on  foot,  after 
walking  the  whole  length  of  the  Californian  Peninsula. 

The  emigrants  by  the  Gila  route  gave  a  terrible  account  of  the 
crossing  of  the  Great  Desert,  lying  west  of  the  Colorado.  They 
described  this  region  as  scorching  and  sterile — a  country  of 
burning  salt  plains  and  shifting  hills  of  sand,  whose  only  signs  of 
human  visitation  are  the  bones  of  animals  and  men  scattered 
along  the  trails  that  cross  it.  The  corpses  of  several  emigrants, 
out  of  companies  who  passed  before  them,  lay  half-buried  in  sand, 
and  the  hot  air  was  made  stifling  by  the  effluvia  that  rose  from  the 
dry  carcases  of  hundreds  of  mules.  There,  if  a  man  faltered, 
he  was  gone  ;  no  one  could  stop  to  lend  him  a  hand  without  a 
likelihood  of  sharing  his  fate.  It  seemed  like  a  wonderful  Provi 
dence  to  these  emigrants,  when  they  camo  suddenly  upon  a  largo 


48  ELDORADO. 

and  swift  stream  of  fresh  water  in  the  midst  of  the  Desert,  where, 
a  year  previous,  there  had  been  nothing  but  sterile  sand.  This 
phenomenon  was  at  first  ascribed  to  the  melting  of  snow  on  the 
mountains,  but  later  emigrants  traced  the  river  to  its  source  in  a 
lake  about  half  a  mile  in  length,  which  had  bubbled  up  spontane 
ously  from  the  fiery  bosom  of  the  Desert. 

One  of  the  emigrants  by  the  Sonora  route  told  me  a  story  of 
a  sick  man  who  rode  behind  his  party  day  after  day,  unable  to 
keep  pace  with  it,  yet  always  arriving  in  camp  a  few  hours  later. 
This  lasted  so  long  that  finally  little  attention  was  paid  to  him  and 
his  absence  one  night  excited  no  apprehension.  Three  days 
passed  and  he  did  not  arrive.  On  the  fourth,  a  negro,  traveling 
alone  and  on  foot,  came  into  camp  and  told  them  that  many  miles 
behind  a  man  lying  beside  the  road  had  begged  a  little  water  from 
him  and  asked  him  to  hurry  on  and  bring  assistance.  The  next 
morning  a  company  of  Mexicans  came  up  and  brought  word  that 
the  man  was  dying.  The  humane  negro  retraced  his  steps  forty 
miles,  and  arrived  just  as  the  sufferer  breathed  his  last.  He 
lifted  him  in  his  arms;  in  the  vain  effort  to  speak,  the  man 
expired.  The  mule,  tied  to  a  cactus  by  his  side,  was  already  dead 
of  hunger. 

I  was  most  profoundly  interested  in  the  narrative  of  a  Phila- 
delphian,  who,  after  crossing  Mexico  from  Tampico  to  San 
Bias,  embarked  for  San  Francisco,  and  was  put  ashore  by  his 
own  request,  at  Cape  San  Lucas.  He  had  three  or  four  com 
panions,  the  party  supposing  they  might  make  the  journey  to  San 
Diego  in  thirty  or  forty  days,  by  following  the  coast.  It  was  soon 
found,  however,  that  the  only  supply  of  water  was  among  the 
mountains  of  the  interior,  and  they  were  obliged  to  proceed  on 
foot  to  the  valley  of  San  Jose  and  follow  the  trail  to  La  Paz,  on 


GEN.    VILLAMIL    AND    HIS    COLONY  49 

the  Californian  Gulf.  Thence  they  wandered  in  a  m.arly  opposite 
direction  to  Todos  Santos  Bay,  on  the  Pacific,  where  they  ex 
changed  some  of  their  arms  for  horses.  The  route  led  in  a  zig 
zag  direction  across  the  mountain  chain,  from  one  watering-place  to 
another,  with  frequent  jornadas  (journeys  without  water,)  of  thirty, 
forty  and  even  sixty  miles  in  length.  Its  rigors  were  increased 
by  the  frightful  desolation  of  the  country,  and  the  deep  gullies  or 
arroyos  with  which  it  is  seamed.  In  the  beds  of  these  they  would 
often  lose  the  trail,  occasioning  them  many  hours'  search  to 
recover  it.  The  fruit  of  the  cactus  and  the  leaves  of  succulent 
plants  formed  their  principal  sustenance.  After  a  month  of  this 
travel  they  reached  San  Ignacio,  half-way  to  San  Diego,  where 
their  horses  failed  them  ;  the  remainder  of  the  journey  was  per 
formed  on  foot.  The  length  of  the  Peninsula  is  about  eight 
hundred  miles,  but  the  distance  traveled  by  these  hardy  adven 
turers  amounted  to  more  than  fifteen  hundred. 

Among  the  passengers  who  came  on  board  at  San  Diego,  was 
Gen.  Villamil,  of  the  Republic  of  Ecuador,  who  was  aid  to  Bolivar 
during  the  war  of  South-American  independence.  After  the  se 
cession  of  Ecuador  from  Columbia,  he  obtained  from  Gen.  Florcs 
a  grant  of  one  of  the  Galapagos  Islands — a  group  well  known  to 
whalers,  lying  on  the  equator,  six  hundred  miles  west  of  Guayaquil. 
On  this  island,  which  he  named  Floriana,  he  has  lived  for  the  past 
sixteen  years.  His  colony  contains  a  hundred  and  fifty  souls,  who 
raise  on  the  light,  new  soil,  abundant  crops  of  grain  and  vegetables. 
The  island  is  fifteen  miles  in  length,  by  twelve  in  breadth,  lying  in 
lat.  1°  30'  S.  and  its  highest  part  is  about  5,000  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  The  soil  is  but  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  deep, 
yet  such  is  the  profusion  of  vegetable  growth,  that,  as  Gen.  Villa 
mil  informed  me,  its  depth  has  in  many  places  increased  six  inches 

VOL.  i.         3 


50  ELDORADO. 

since  he  first  landed  there.  The  supply  of  water  is  obtained  in  a 
very  singular  manner.  A  large  porous  rock,  on  the  side  cf  one  of 
the  mountains,  seems  to  serve  as  an  outlet  or  filter  for  some  sub 
terranean  vein,  since  on  its  base,  which  is  constantly  humid,  the 
drops  collect  and  fall  in  sufficient  abundance  to  supply  a  large 
basin  in  the  rock  below.  Pipes  from  this  deposit  convey  the  water 
to  the  valley.  Its  quality  is  cool,  sweet  and  limpid,  and  the 
rocky  sponge  from  which  it  drips  never  fails  in  its  supply. 

We  were  within  sight  of  the  Coast  Range  of  California  all  day, 
after  passing  Cape  Conception.  Their  sides  are  spotted  with 
timber,  which  in  the  narrow  valleys  sloping  down  to  the  sea  ap 
peared  to  be  of  large  growth.  From  their  unvarying  yellow  hue, 
we  took  them  to  be  mountains  of  sand,  but  they  were  in  reality 
covered  with  natural  harvests  of  wild  oats,  as  I  afterwards  learned, 
on  traveling  into  the  interior.  A  keen,  bracing  wind  at  night 
kept  down  the  fog,  and  although  the  thermometer  fell  to  52°, 
causing  a  general  shiver  on  board,  I  walked  the  deck  a  long  time, 
noting  the  extraordinary  brilliancy  of  the  stars  in  the  pure  air. 
The  mood  of  our  passengers  changed  very  visibly  as  we  approached 
the  close  of  the  voyage  ;  their  exhilarant  anticipations  left  them, 
and  were  succeeded  by  a  reaction  of  feeling  that  almost  amounted 
to  despondency.  The  return  to  laborious  life  after  a  short  ex 
emption  from  its  cares,  as  in  the  case  of  travel,  is  always  attended 
with  some  such  feeling,  but  among  the  California  emigrants  it  was 
intensified  by  the  uncertainty  of  their  venture  in  a  region  where  all 
the  ordinary  rules  of  trade  and  enterprise  would  be  at  fault. 

When  I  went  on  deck  in  tin  clear  dawn,  while  yet 

"  The  maiden  splendors  of  the  morning-star 
Shook  in  the  steadfast  blue." 


THE    LAST    DAI    OF    THE    VOYAGE.  51 

we  were  rounding  Point  Pinos  into  the  harbor  of  Monterey.  As 
we  drew  near,  the  white,  scattered  dwellings  of  the  town,  situated 
on  a  gentle  slope,  behind  which  extended  on  all  sides  the  celebrated 
Pine  Forest,  became  visible  in  the  grey  light.  A  handsome  fort, 
on  an  eminence  near  the  sea,  returned  our  salute.  Four  vessels, 
shattered,  weather-beaten  and  apparently  deserted,  lay  at  anchor 
not  far  from  shore.  The  town  is  larger  than  I  expected  to  find 
it,  and  from  the  water  has  the  air  of  a  large  New-England  village, 
barring  the  adobe  houses.  Major  Lee  and  Lieut.  Beale,  who  went 
ashore  in  the  steamer's  boat,  found  Gen.  Riley,  the  Civil  Governor, 
very  ill  with  a  fever.  As  we  were  preparing  to  leave,  the  sun  rose 
over  the  mountains,  covering  the  air  with  gold  brighter  than  ever 
was  scratched  up  on  the  Sacramento.  The  picturesque  houses  of 
Monterey,  the  pine  woods  behind  and  the  hills  above  them,  glowed 
like  an  illuminated  painting,  till  a  fog-curtain  which  met  us  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor  dropped  down  upon  the  water  and  hid  them 
all  from  sight. 

At  last  the  voyage  is  drawing  to  a  close.  Fifty-one  days  have 
elapsed  since  leaving  New  York,  in  which  time  we  have,  in  a 
manner,  coasted  both  sides  of  the  North -American  Continent, 
from  the  parallel  of  40°  N.  to  its  termination,  within  a  few  degrees 
of  the  Equator,  over  seas  once  ploughed  by  the  keels  of  Columbus 
and  Balboa,  of  Grijalva  and  Sebastian  Viscaino.  All  is  excite 
ment  on  board  ;  the  Captain  has  just  taken  his  noon  observation. 
We  are  running  along  the  shore,  within  six  or  eight  miles'  distance  ; 
the  hills  are  bare  and  sandy,  but  loom  up  finely  through  the  deep 
blue  haze.  A  brig  bound  to  San  Francisco,  but  fallen  off  to  the 
leeward  of  the  harbor,  is  makino-  a  now  tack  on  our  Lft,  to  come 

'  O  ' 


52  ELDORADO. 

up  again.     The  coast  trends  somewhat  more  to  the  westward, 
and  a  notch  or  gap  is  at  last  visible  in  its  lofty  outline. 

An  hour  later  ;  we  are  in  front  of  the  entrance  to  San  Francisco 
Bay.  The  mountains  on  the  northern  side  are  3,000  feet  in  hight, 
and  come  boldly  down  to  the  sea.  As  the  view  opens  through  the 
splendid  strait,  three  or  four  miles  in  width,  the  island  rock  of 
Alcatraz  appears,  gleaming  white  in  the  distance.  An  inward- 
bound  ship  follows  close  on  our  wake,  urged  on  by  wind  and  tide 
There  is  a  small  fort  perched  among  the  trees  on  our  right,  where 
the  strait  is  narrowest,  and  a  glance  at  the  formation  of  the  hills 
shows  that  this  pass  might  be  made  impregnable  as  Gibraltar. 
The  town  is  still  concealed  behind  the  promontory  around  which 
the  Bay  turns  to  the  southward,  but  between  Alcatraz  and  the 
island  of  Yerba  Buena,  now  coming  into  sight,  I  can  see  vessels  at 
anchor.  High  through  the  vapor  in  front,  and  thirty  miles  dis 
tant,  rises  the  peak  of  Monte  Diablo,  which  overlooks  everything 
between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Ocean.  On  our  left  opens 
the  bight  of  Sousolito,  where  the  U.  S.  propeller  Massachusetts  and 
several  other  vessels  are  at  anchor. 

At  last  we  are  through  the  Golden  Gate — fit  name  for  such  a 
magnificent  portal  to  the  commerce  of  the  Pacific  !  Yerba  Buena 
Island  is  in  front ;  southward  and  westward  opens  the  renowned 
harbor,  crowded  with  the  shipping  of  the  world,  mast  behind  mast 
and  vessel  behind  vessel,  the  flags  of  all  nations  fluttering  in  the 
breeze  !  Around  the  curving  shore  of  the  Bay  and  upon  the 
sides  of  three  hills  which  rise  steeply  from  the  water,  the  middle 
one  receding  so  as  to  form  a  bold  amphitheatre,  the  town  is  planted 
and  seems  scarcely  yet  to  have  taken  root,  for  tents,  canvas,  plank, 
mud  and  adobe  houses  are  mingled  together  with  the  least  apparent 


THE    ANCHOR    DROPS.  53 

attempt  at  order  and  durability.  But  I  am  not  yet  on  shore.  The 
gun  of  the  Panama  has  just  announced  our  arrival  to  the  people 
on  land.  We  glide  on  with  the  tide,  past  the  U.  S.  ship  Ohio 
and  opposite  the  main  landing,  outside  of  the  forest  of  masts.  A 
dozen  boats  are  creeping  out  to  us  over  the  water  ;  the  signal  is 
given — the  anchor  drops — our  voyage  is  over. 


CHAPTER  YL 

FIRST    IMPRESSIONS    OF    SAN    FRANCISCO. 

I  LEFT  the  Panama,  in  company  with  Lieut.  Beale,  in  the  boat 
of  the  U.  S.  ship  Ohio,  which  brought  Lieutenant  Ells  on  board. 
We  first  boarded  the  noble  ship,  which,  even  in  San  Francisco  har 
bor,  showed  the  same  admirable  order  as  on  our  own  coast.  She 
had  returned  from  Honolulu  a  few  days  previous,  after  an  absence 
of  three  months  from  California.  The  morning  of  our  arrival, 
eighteen  of  her  men  had  contrived  to  escape,  carrying  with  them 
one  of  the  boats,  under  fire  from  all  the  Government  vessels  in 
the  harbor.  The  oflicers  were  eager  for  news  from  home,  having 
been  two  months  without  a  mail,  and  I  was  glad  that  my  habit  of 
carrying  newspapers  in  my  pockets  enabled  me  to  furnish  them 
with  a  substantial  gratification.  The  Ohio's  boat  put  us  ashore 
at  the  northern  point  of  the  anchorage,  at  the  foot  of  a  steep 
bank,  from  which  a  high  pier  had  been  built  into  the  bay.  A 
large  vessel  lay  at  the  end,  discharging  her  cargo.  We  scrambled 
up  through  piles  of  luggage,  and  among  the  crowd  collected  to 
witness  our  arrival,  picked  out  two  Mexicans  to  carry  our  trunks  to 
a  hotel.  The  barren  side  of  the  hill  before  us  was  covered  with 
tents  and  canvas  houses,  and  nearly  in  front  a  large  two-story 
building  displayed  the  sign  :  "  Fremont  Family  Hotel." 


APPEARANCE    OF    THE    TOWN.  55 

As  yet,  we  were  only  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town.  Crossing 
the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  the  view  extended  around  the  curve 
of  the  bay,  and  hundreds  of  tents  and  houses  appeared,  scattered 
all  over  the  heights,  and  along  the  shore  for  more  than  a  mile.  A 
furious  wind  was  blowing  down  through  a  gap  in  the  hills,  filling 
the  streets  with  clouds  of  dust.  On  every  side  stood  buildings  of 
all  kinds,  begun  or  half-finished,  and  the  greater  part  of  them 
mere  canvas  sheds,  open  in  front,  and  covered  with  all  kinds  of 
signs,  in  all  languages.  Great  quantities  of  goods  were  piled  up 
in  the  open  air,  for  want  of  a  place  to  store  them.  The  streets 
were  full  of  people,  hurrying  to  and  fro,  and  of  as  diverse  and 
bizarre  a  character  as  the  houses  :  Yankees  of  every  possible  va 
riety,  native  Californians  in  sarapes  and  sombreros,  Chilians,  So- 
norians,  Kanakas  from  Hawaii,  Chinese  with  long  tails,  Malays 
armed  with  their  everlasting  creeses,  and  others  in  whose  em 
browned  and  bearded  visages  it  was  impossible  to  recognize  any 
especial  nationality.  We  came  at  last  into  the  plaza,  now  digni 
fied  by  the  name  of  Portsmouth  Square.  It  lies  on  the  slant  side 
of  the  hill,  and  from  a  high  pole  in  front  of  a  long  one-story  adobe 
building  used  as  the  Custom  House,  the  American  flag  was  flying. 
On  the  lower  side  stood  the  Parker  House — an  ordinary  frame 
house  of  about  sixty  feet  front — and  towards  its  entrance  we 
directed  our  course. 

Our  luggage  was  deposited  on  one  of  the  rear  porticos,  and  we 
discharged  the  porters,  after  paying  them  two  dollars  each — a 
Bum  so  immense  in  comparison  to  the  service  rendered  that  there 
was  no  longer  any  doubt  of  our  having  actually  landed  in  Cali 
fornia.  There  were  no  lodgings  to  be  had  at  the  Parker  House — 
not  even  a  place  to  unroll  our  blankets  ;  but  one  of  the  proprietors 
accompanied  us  across  the  plaza  to  the  City  Hotel,  where  we  ob- 


56  ELDORADO. 

fcained  a  room  with  two  beds  at  $25  per  week,  meals  being  in  ad 
dition  $20  per  week.  I  asked  the  landlord  whether  he  could  send 
a  porter  for  our  trunks.  "  There  is  none  belonging  to  the  house," 
said  he  ;  "  every  man  is  his  own  porter  here."  I  returned  to  the 
Parker  House,  shouldered  a  heavy  trunk,  took  a  valise  in  my  hand 
and  carried  them  to  my  quarters,  in  the  teeth  of  the  wind.  Our 
room  was  in  a  sort  of  garret  over  the  only  story  of  the  hotel ;  two 
cots,  evidently  of  California  manufacture,  and  covered  only  with 
a  pair  of  blankets,  two  chairs,  a  rough  table  and  a  small  looking- 
glass,  constituted  the  furniture.  There  was  not  space  enough 
between  the  bed  and  the  bare  rafters  overhead,  to  sit  upright,  and 
I  gave  myself  a  severe  blow  in  rising  the  next  morning  without 
the  proper  heed.  Through  a  small  roof-window  of  dim  glass,  I 
could  see  the  opposite  shore  of  the  bay,  then  partly  hidden  by  the 
evening  fogs.  The  wind  whistled  around  the  eaves  and  rattled 
the  tiles  with  a  cold,  gusty  sound,  that  would  have  imparted  a 
dreary  character  to  the  place,  had  I  been  in  a  mood  to  listen. 

Many  of  the  passengers  began  speculation  at  the  moment4  of 
landing.  The  most  ingenious  and  successful  operation  was  made 
by  a  gentleman  of  New  York,  who  took  out  fifteen  hundred  copies 
of  The  Tribune  and  other  papers,  which  he  disposed  of  in  two 
hours,  at  one  dollar  a-piece  !  Hearing  of  this  I  bethought  me  of 
about  a  dozen  papers  which  I  had  used  to  fill  up  crevices  in  pack- 
•  ing  my  valise.  There  was  a  newspaper  merchant  at  the  corner 
of  the  City  Hotel,  and  to  him  I  proposed  the  sale  of  them,  asking 
him  to  name  a  price.  "  I  shall  want  to  make  a  good  profit  on  the 
retail  price,"  said  he,  "  and  can't  give  more  than  ten  dollars  for 
the  lot."  I  was  satisfied  with  the  wholesale  price,  which  was  a 
gain  of  just  four  thousand  por  C3nt ! 

I  set  out  for  a  walk  b-fore  da~k  and  climbod  a  hill  back  of 


THE  NEW-COMER'S  BEWILDERMENT.  57 

the  town,  passing  a  number  of  tents  pitched  in  the  hollows. 
The  scattered  houses  spread  out  below  me  and  the  crowded 
shipping  in  the  harbor,  backed  by  a  lofty  line  of  mountains,  made 
an  imposing  picture.  The  restless,  feverish  tide  of  life  in  that 
little  spot,  and  the  thought  that  what  I  then  saw  and  was  yet  to 
see  will  hereafter  fill  one  of  the  most  marvellous  pages  of  all 
history,  rendered  it  singularly  impressive.  The  feeling  was  not 
decreased  on  talking  that  evening  with  some  of  the  old  residents, 
(that  is,  of  six  months'  standing,)  and  hearing  their  several 
experiences.  Every  new-comer  in  San  Francisco  is  overtaken 
with  a  sense  of  complete  bewilderment.  The  mind,  however  it 
may  be  prepared  for  an  astonishing  condition  of  affairs,  cannot 
immediately  push  aside  its  old  instincts  of  value  and  ideas  of 
business,  letting  all  past  experiences  go  for  naught  and  casting 
all  its  faculties  for  action,  intercourse  with  its  fellows  or  advance 
ment  in  any  path  of  ambition,  into  shapes  which  it  never  before 
imagined.  As  in  the  turn  of  the  dissolving  views,  there  is  a 
period  when  it  wears  neither  the  old  nor  the  new  phase,  but  the 
vanishing  images  of  the  one  and  the  growing  perceptions  of  the 
other  are  blended  in  painful  and  misty  confusion.  One  knows  not 
whether  he  is  awake  or  in  some  wonderful  dream.  Never  have  I 
had  so  much  difficulty  in  establishing,  satisfactorily  to  my  own 
senses,  the  reality  of  what  I  saw  and  heard. 

I  was  forced  to  believe  many  things,  which  in  my  communica 
tions  to  The  Tribune  I  was  almost  afraid  to  write,  with  any  hope 
of  their  obtaining  credence.  It  may  be  interesting  to  give  her^  a 
few  instances  of  the  enormous  and  unnatural  value  put  upon 
property  at  the  time  of  my  arrival.  The  Parker  House  rented 
for  $110,000  yearly,  at  least  $60,000  of  which  was  paid  by 

gamblers,  who  held  nearly  all  the  second  story.     Adjoining  it  o& 
o 


58  ELDORADO. 

the  right  was  a  canvas-tent  fifteen  by  twenty-five  feet,  called  <v  El 
dorado ,"  and  occupied  likewise  by  gamblers,  which  brought  $40,000 
On  the  opposite  corner  of  the  plaza,  a  building  called  the  "  Miner's 
.Bank,"  used  by  Wright  &  Co.,  brokers,  about  half  the  size  of  a 
fire-engine  house  in  New  York,  was  held  at  a  rent  of  $75,000. 
A  mercantile  house  paid  $40,000  rent  for  a  one-story  building  01 
twenty  feet  front ;  the  United  States  Hotel,  $36,000  ;  the  Post- 
Office,  $7,000,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  A  friend  of 
mine,  who  wished  to  find  a  place  for  a  law-office,  was  shown  a 
cellar  in  the  earth,  about  twelve  feet  square  and  six  deep,  which 
he  could  have  at  $250  a  month.  One  of  the  common  soldiers  at 
the  battle  of  San  Pasquale  was  reputed  to  be  among  the  mil 
lionaires  of  the  place,  with  an  income  of  $50,000  monthly.  A 
citizen  of  San  Francisco  died  insolvent  to  the  amount  of  $41,000 
the  previous  Autumn.  His  administrators  were  delayed  in 
settling  his  affairs,  and  his  real  estate  advanced  so  rapidly  in  value 
meantime,  that  after  his  debts  were  paid  his  heirs  had  a  yearly 
income  of  $40,000.  These  facts  were  indubitably  attested ; 
every  one  believed  them,  yet  hearing  them  talked  of  daily,  as 
matters  of  course,  one  at  first  could  not  help  feeling  as  if  he  had 
been  eating  of  "  the  insane  root." 

The  prices  paid  for  labor  were  in  proportion  to  everything  else. 
The  carman  of  Mellus,  Howard  &  Co.  had  a  salary  of  $6,000  a 
year,  and  many  others  made  from  $15  to  $20  daily.  Servants 
were  paid  from  $100  to  $200  a  month,  but  the  wages  of  the 
rougher  kinds  of  labor  had  fallen  to  about  $8.  Yet,  notwith 
standing  the  number  of  gold-seekers  who  were  returning  enfeebled 
and  disheartened  from  the  mines,  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  as  many 
workmen  as  the  forced  growth  of  the  city  demanded.  A  gentle 
man  who  arrived  in  April  told  me  he  then  found  but  thirty  01 


INDIFFERENT    SHOPKEEPERS.  59 

forty  houses  ;  the  population  was  then  so  scant  that  not  more  than 
twenty-five  persons  would  be  seen  in  the  streets  at  any  one  time. 
Now,  there  were  probably  five  hundred  houses,  tents  and  sheds, 
with  a  population,  fixed  and  floating,  of  six  thousand.  People 
who  had  been  absent  six  weeks  came  back  and  could  scarcely 
recognize  the  place.  Streets  were  regularly  laid  out,  and  already 
there  were  three  piers,  at  which  small  vessels  could  discharge. 
It  was  calculated  that  the  town  increased  daily  by  from  fifteen  to 
thirty  houses  ;  its  skirts  were  rapidly  approaching  the  summits  of 
the  three  hills  on  which  it  is  located. 

A  curious  result  of  the  extraordinary  abundance  of  gold  and 
the  facility  with  which  fortunes  were  acquired,  struck  me  at  the 
first  glance.  All  business  was  transacted  on  so  extensive  a  scale 
that  the  ordinary  habits  of  solicitation  and  compliance  on  the  one 
hand  and  stubborn  cheapening  on  the  other,  seemed  to  be  entirely 
forgotten.  You  enter  a  shop  to  buy  something ;  the  owner  eyes 
you  with  perfect  indifference,  waiting  for  you  to  state  your  want ; 
if  you  object  to  the  price,  you  are  at  liberty  to  leave,  for  you  need 
not  expect  to  get  it  cheaper  ;  he  evidently  cares  little  whether  you 
buy  it  or  not.  One  who  has  been  some  time  in  the  country  will 
lay  down  the  money,  without  wasting  words.  The  only  exception 
I  found  to  this  rule  was  that  of  a  sharp-faced  Down-Easter  just 
opening  his  stock,  who  was  much  distressed  when  his  clerk 
charged  me  seventy-five  cents  for  a  coil  of  rope,  instead  of  one 
dollar.  This  disregard  for  all  the  petty  arts  of  money-making 
was  really  a  refreshing  feature  of  society.  Another  equally 
agreeable  trait  was  the  punctuality  with  which  debts  were  paid, 
and  the  general  confidence  which  men  were  obliged  to  place, 
perforge,  in  each  other's  hqnesty.  Perhaps  this  latter  fact  was 
owing,  in  part,  to  the  impossibility  qf  protecting  wealth^  and 


60  ELDORADO 

consequent  dependence  on  an  honorable  regard  for  the  rights  of 
others. 

About  the  hour  of  twilight  the  wind  fell ;  the  sound  of  a  gong 
called  us  to  tea,  which  was  served  in  the  largest  room  of  the  hotel. 
The  fare  was  abundant  and  of  much  better  quality  than  we  ex 
pected — better,  in  fact,  than  I  was  able  to  find  there  two  months 
later.  The  fresh  milk,  butter  and  excellent  beef  of  the  country 
were  real  luxuries  after  our  sea-fare.  Thus  braced  against  the 
fog  and  raw  temperature,  we  sallied  out  for  a  night-view  of  San 
Francisco,  then  even  more  peculiar  than  its  daylight  look.  Busi 
ness  was  over  about  the  usual  hour,  and  then  the  harvest-time  of 
the  gamblers  commenced.  Every  "  hell"  in  the  place,  and  I  did 
not  pretend  to  number  them,  was  crowded,  and  immense  sums 
were  staked  at  the  monte  and  faro  tables.  A  boy  of  fifteen,  in 
one  place,  won  about  $500,  which  he  coolly  pocketed  and  carried 
off.  One  of  the  gang  we  brought  in  the  Panama  won  $1,500  in 
the  course  of  the  evening,  and  another  lost  $2,400.  A  fortu 
nate  miner  made  himself  conspicuous  by  betting  large  piles  of 
ounces  on  a  single  throw.  His  last  stake  of  100  oz.  was  lost,  and 
I  saw  him  the  following  morning  dashing  through  the  streets,  try 
ing  to  break  his  own  neck  or  that  of  the  magnificent  garanon  he 
bestrode. 

Walking  through  the  town  the  next  day,  I  was  quite  amazed  to 
find  a  dozen  persons  busily  employed  in  the  street  before  the 
United  States  Hotel,  digging  up  the  earth  with  knives  and  crumb 
ling  it  in  their  hands.  They  were  actual  gold-hunters,  who  ob 
tained  in  this  way  about  $5  a  day.  After  blowing  the  fine  dirt 
earefully  in  their  hands,  a  few  specks  of  gold  were  left,  which 
they  placed  in  a  piece  of  whito  paper.  A  number  of  children 
were  engaged  in  the  samo  business,  picking  out  the  fino  grains  bj 


STREET  GOLD PEOPLE  IN  TOWN.  61 

applying  to  them  the  head  of  a  pin,  moistened  in  their  mouths. 
I  was  told  of  a  small  boy  having  taken  home  $14  as  the  result  of 
one  day's  labor.  On  climbing  the  hill  to  the  Post  Office  I  ob 
served  in  places,  where  the  wind  had  swept  away  the  sand,  several 
glittering  dots  of  the  real  metal,  but,  like  the  Irishman  who  kicked 
the  dollar  out  of  his  way,  concluded  to  wait  till  I  should  reach  the 
heap.  The  presence  of  gold  in  the  streets  was  probably  occa 
sioned  by  the  leakings  from  the  miners'  bags  and  the  sweepings 
of  stores ;  though  it  may  also  be,  to  a  slight  extent,  native  in  the 
earth,  particles  having  been  found  in  the  clay  thrown  up  from  a 
deep  well. 

The  arrival  of  a  steamer  with  a  mail  ran  the  usual  excitement 
and  activity  of  the  town  up  to  its  highest  possible  notch.  The 
little  Post  Office,  half-way  up  the  hill,  was  almost  hidden  from 
sight  by  the  crowds  that  clustered  around  it.  Mr.  Moore,  the  new 
Postmaster,  who  was  my  fellow-traveler  from  New  York,  barred 
every  door  and  window  from  the  moment  of  his  entrance,  and 
with  his  sons  and  a  few  clerks,  worked  steadily  for  two  days  and 
two  nights,  till  the  distribution  of  twenty  thousand  letters  was 
completed.  Among  the  many  persons  I  met,  the  day  after  land 
ing,  was  Mr.  T.  Butler  King,  who  had  just  returned  from  an 
expedition  to  the  placers,  in  company  with  General  Smith.  Mr. 
Edwin  Bryant,  of  Kentucky,  and  Mr.  Durivage,  of  New  Orleans, 
had  arrived  a  few  days  previous,  the  former  by  way  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  and  the  latter  by  the  northern  provinces  of  Mexico 
and  the  Gila.  I  found  the  artist  Osgood  in  a  studio  about  eight 
feet  square,  with  a  head  of  Captain  Sutter  on  his  easel.  He  had 
given  up  gold-digging,  after  three  months  of  successful  labor 
among  the  mountains. 

T  could  make  no   thorough  acquaintance  with  San  Francisco 


62  ELDORADO. 

during  this  first  visit.  Lieutenant  Beale,  who  held  important 
Government  dispatches  for  Colonel  Fremont,  made  arrangements 
to  leave  for  San  Jose  on  the  second  morning,  and  offered  me  a 
seat  on  the  back  of  one  of  his  mules.  Our  fellow-passengor, 
Colonel  Lyons,  of  Louisiana,  joined  us,  completing  the  mystic 
number  which  travelers  should  be  careful  not  to  exceed.  We 
made  hasty  tours  through  all  the  shops  on  Clay,  Kearney,  Wash 
ington  and  Montgomery  streets,  on  the  hunt  of  the  proper  equip 
ments.  Articles  of  clothing  were  cheaper  than  they  had  been  or 
were  afterwards  ;  tolerable  blankets  could  be  had  for  $6  a  pair ; 
coarse  flannel  shirts,  $3 ;  Chilian  spurs,  with  rowels  two  inches 
long,  $5,  and  Mexican  sarapes,  of  coarse  texture  but  gay  color, 
$10.  We  could  find  no  saddle-bags  in  the  town,  and  were  neces 
sitated  to  pack  one  of  the  mules.  Among  our  camping  materials 
were  a  large  hatchet  and  plenty  of  rope  for  making  lariats ;  in 
addition  to  which  each  of  us  carried  a  wicker  flask  slung  over  one 
shoulder.  We  laid  aside  our  civilized  attire,  stuck  long  sheath- 
knives  into  our  belts,  put  pistols  into  our  pockets  and  holsters,  and 
buckled  on  the  immense  spurs  which  jingled  as  they  struck  the 
ground  at  every  step.  Our  "  animals"  were  already  in  waiting  ; 
an  alazan,  tKe  Californian  term  for  a  sorrel  horse,  a  beautiful 
brown  mule,  two  of  a  cream  color  and  a  dwarfish  little  fellow 
whose  long  forelock  and  shaggy  mane  gave  him  altogether  an 
elfi.«h  character  of  cunning  and  mischief. 


CHAPTER  TIL 

TO    THE    SAN    JOAQUIN,    ON    MULEBACK 

IT  was  noon  before  we  got  everything  fairly  in  order  and  moved 
slowly  away  from  the  City  Hotel,  where  a  number  of  our  fellow- 
passengers — the  only  idlers  in  the  place,  because  just  arrived — 
were  collected  to  see  us  start.  Shouldering  our  packs  until  we 
should  be  able  to  purchase  an  aparejo,  or  pack-saddle,  from  some 
Mexican  on  the  road,  and  dragging  after  us  two  reluctant  mules 
by  their  lariats  of  horse-hair,  we  climbed  the  first  "  rise,"  dividing 
the  town  from  the  Happy  Valley.  Here  we  found  a  party  of  So- 
norians  encamped  on  the  sand,  with  their  mules  turned  loose  and 
the  harness  scattered  about  them.  After  a  little  bargaining,  we 
obtained  one  of  their  pack-saddles  for  eight  dollars.  Lieut.  Beale 
jumped  down,  caught  the  little  mule — which  to  his  great  surprise 
he  recognized  as  an  old  acquaintance  among  the  Rocky  Mountains 
during  the  previous  winter — and  commenced  packing.  In  my 
zeal  to  learn  all  the  mysteries  of  mountain-life,  I  attempted  to 
alight  and  assist  him  ;  but  alas  !  the  large  rowel  of  my  spur  caught 
in  the  folds  of  a  blanket  strapped  to  the  saddle,  the  girth  slipped 
and  I  was  ingloriously  thrown  on  my  back.  The  Sonorians 
laughed  heartily,  but  came  forward  and  re-adjusted  the  saddle  with 
a  willingness  that  reconciled  me  to  their  mirth. 


64  ELDORADO. 

All  was  finally  arranged  and  we  urged  our  mules  along  in  the 
sand,  over  hills  covered  with  thickets  of  evergreen  oak.  The  guns 
of  the  Ohio,  fired  for  the  obsequies  of  ex-president  Polk,  echoed 
among  the  mountains  of  the  bay,  and  companies  of  horsemen, 
coining  in  from  the  interior,  appeared  somewhat  startled  at  the 
sound.  Three  miles  from  San  Francisco  is  the  old  Mission  of 
Dolores,  situated  in  a  sheltered  valley,  which  is  watered  by  a  per 
petual  stream,  fed  from  the  tall  peaks  towards  the  sea.  As  we 
descended  a  long  sand-hill  before  reaching  the  valley,  Picayune, 
our  pack-mule,  suddenly  came  to  a  stop.  Lieut.  Beale,  who  had 
a  most  thorough  knowledge  of  mule-craft,  dismounted  and  untied 
the  lash-rope  ;  the  pack  had  slightly  shifted,  and  Picayune,  who 
was  as  knowing  as  he  was  perverse,  would  not  move  a  step  till  it 
was  properly  adjusted.  We  now  kept  the  two  loose  mules  in  ad 
vance  and  moved  forward  in  better  order  The  mountains  beyond 
the  Mission  are  bleak  and  barren  and  the  dire  north-west  wind, 
sweeping  in  from  the  sea  through  their  gorges,  chilled  us  to  the 
bones  as  we  rode  over  them. 

After  ascending  for  some  distance  by  a  broad  road,  in  which, 
at  short  intervals,  lay  the  carcasses  of  mules  and  horses,  attended 
by  flocks  of  buzzards,  we  passed  through  a  notch  in  the  main 
chain,  whence  there  was  a  grand  look-out  to  the  sea  on  one  side, 
to  the  bay  on  the  other.  We  were  glad,  however,  to  descend  from 
these  raw  and  gusty  heights,  along  the  sides  of  the  mountains  of 
San  Bruno,  to  the  fertile  and  sheltered  plains  of  Santa  Clara. 
Large  herds  of  cattle  are  pastured  in  this  neighborhood,  the  grass 
in  the  damp  flats  and  wild  oats  on  the  mountains,  affording  them 
sufficient  food  during  the  dry  season.  At  Sanchez'  Ranche,  which 
we  reached  just  before  sunset,  there  was  neither  grass  nor  barley 
and  we  turned  our  mules  supperless  into  the  corral.  The  Senora 


SCENERY    OF    THE    INLAND.  65 

Sanchez,  after  some  persuasion,  stirred  up  the  fire  in  the  mud 
kitchen  and  prepared  for  us  a  guisado  of  beef  and  onions,  with 
gome  rank  black  tea.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  we  carried  our 
equipments  into  the  house,  and  by  a  judicious  arrangement  of 
our  saddles,  blankets  and  clothes,  made  a  grand  bed  for  three, 
where  we  should  have  slept,  had  fleas  been  lobsters.  But  as  they 
were  fleas,  of  the  largest  and  savagest  kind,  we  nearly  perished 
before  morning.  Rather  than  start  for  the  day  with  starved  ani 
mals,  we  purchased  half  a  fanega — a  little  more  than  a  bushel — 
of  wheat,  for  $5.  Mr.  Beale's  horse  was  the  only  one  who  did 
justice  to  this  costly  feed,  and  we  packed  the  rest  on  the  back  of 
little  Picayune,  who  gave  an  extra  groan  when  it  was  added  to  hia 
load. 

Our  road  now  led  over  broad  plains,  through  occasional  belts 
of  timber.  The  grass  was  almost  entirely  burnt  up,  and  dry, 
gravelly  arroyos,  in  and  out  of  which  we  went  with  a  plunge  and 
a  scramble,  marked  the  courses  of  the  winter  streams.  The  air 
was  as  warm  and  balmy  as  May,  and  fragrant  with  the  aroma  of 
a  species  of  gnaphalium,  which  made  it  delicious  to  inhale.  Not 
a  cloud  was  to  be  seen  in  the  sky,  and  the  high,  sparsely-wooded 
mountains  on  either  hand,  showed  softened  and  indistinct  through 
a  blue  haze.  The  character  of  the  scenery  was  entirely  new  to 
me.  The  splendid  valley,  untenanted  except  by  a  few  solitary 
rancheros  living  many  miles  apart,  seemed  to  be  some  deserted 
location  of  ancient  civilization  and  culture.  The  wooded  slopes 
of  the  mountains  are  lawns,  planted  by  Nature  with  a  taste  to 
which  Art  could  add  no  charm.  The  trees  have  nothing  of  the 
wild  growth  of  our  forests  ;  they  are  compact,  picturesque,  and 
grouped  in  every  variety  of  graceful  outline.  The  hills  were 
covered  to  the  summit  with  fields  of  wild  oats,  coloring  them 


66  ELDORADO 

as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  with  tawny  gold,  against  which  the 
dark,  glossy  green  of  the  oak  and  cypress  showed  with  peculiar 
effect.  As  we  advanced  further,  these  natural  harvests  extended 
over  the  plain,  mixed  with  vast  beds  of  wild  mustard,  eight  feet 
in  height,  under  which  a  thick  crop  of  grass  had  sprung  up,  fur 
nishing  sustenance  to  the  thousands  of  cattle,  roaming  everywhere 
unherded.  The  only  cultivation  I  saw  was  a  small  field  of  maize, 
green  and  with  good  ears. 

I  never  felt  a  more  thorough,  exhilarating  sense  of  freedom  than 
when  first  fairly  afloat  on  these  vast  and  beautiful  plains.  With 
the  mule  as  my  shallop,  urged  steadily  onward  past  the  tranquil 
isles  and  long  promontories  of  timber  ;  drinking,  with  a  delight 
that  almost  made  it  a  flavor  on  the  palate,  the  soft,  elastic,  fragrant 
air ;  cut  off",  for  the  time,  from  every  irksome  requirement  of 
civilization,  and  cast  loose,  like  a  stray,  unshackled  spirit,  on  the 
bosom  of  a  new  earth,  I  seemed  to  take  a  fresh  and  more  perfect 
lease  of  existence.  The  mind  was  in  exquisite  harmony  with  the 
outer  world,  and  the  same  sensuous  thrill  of  Life  vibrated  through 
each.  The  mountains  showed  themselves  through  the  magical 
screen  of  the  haze  ;  far  on  our  left  the  bay  made  a  faint,  glim 
mering  line,  like  a  rod  of  light,  cutting  off  the  hardly-seen  hills 
beyond  it,  from  the  world  ;  and  on  all  sides,  from  among  the  glossy 
clumps  of  bay  and  evergreen  oak,  the  chirrup  and  cheery  whistle 
of  birds  rang  upon  the  air. 

After  a  ride  of  twenty-five  miles  without  grass,  water  or  sign  of 
habitation,  we  stopped  to  rest  at  a  ranche,  in  the  garden  of  which 
I  found  a  fine  patch  of  grape  vines,  laden  with  flourishing  bunches. 
We  watered  our  mules  with  a  basket  of  Indian  manufacture,  so 
closely  plaited  that  scarcely  a  drop  found  its  way  through.  At 
the  ranche  we  met  an  emigrant  returning  from  the  mines,  and 


RANCHES    ON    THE    ROAD.  67 

were  strongly  advised  to  turn  back.  He  had  evidently  mistaken 
his  capacity  when  he  came  to  California.  "  You  think  you  are 
very  wise,"  said  he,  "  and  you'll  believe  nothing  ;  but  it  won't  be 
long  before  you'll  find  out  the  truth  of  my  words.  You'll  have  to 
sleep  on  the  ground  every  night  and  take  care  of  your  own  animals ; 
and  you  may  think  yourselves  lucky  if  you  get  your  regular  meals." 
We  fully  agreed  with  him  in  every  respect,  but  he  took  it  all  for 
unbelieving  irony.  At  Whisman's  ranche,  two  miles  further,  we 
stopped  to  dinner.  The  sight  of  a  wooden  house  gladdened  our 
eyes,  and  still  more  so  that  of  the  home-made  bread,  fresh  butter 
and  milk  which  Mrs.  Whisman  set  before  us.  The  family  had 
lived  there  nearly  two  years  and  were  well  contented  with  the 
country.  The  men  go  occasionally  to  the  mines  and  dig,  but  are 
prudent  enough  not  to  neglect  their  farming  operations.  The 
grass  on  the  vega  before  the  house  was  still  thick  and  green,  and 
a  well  fifteen  feet  deep  supplied  them  with  good  water.  The 
vegetables  in  their  garden,  though  planted  late,  were  growing 
\\nely ;  the  soil  is  a  rich,  dark  loam,  now  as  cracked  and  dry  as  a 
;  mder,  but  which,  under  the  Winter  and  Spring  rains,  is  hidden 
ty  a  deluge  of  vegetable  bloom. 

As  evening  drew  on  the  white  spire  of  Santa  Clara  Mission 
» flowed  in  the  distance,  and  an  hour's  sharp  riding  brought  us  in 
front  of  its  old  white-washed  walls.  The  buildings,  once  very 
spacious  in  extent,  are  falling  into  ruin,  and  a  single  monk  in  the 
corridor,  habited  in  a  very  dirty  cowl  and  cassock,  was  the  only 
saintly  inhabitant  we  saw.  The  Mission  estate,  containing  twenty- 
five  thousand  head  of  cattle  and  many  square  leagues  of  land,  was 
placed  by  Gen.  Kearney  in  charge  of  Padre  del  Real,  President 
of  the  Missions  of  the  North.  The  Padre,  however,  exceeded  his 
powers  by  making  leases  of  the  Mission  lands  to  emigrants  and  others, 


68  ELDORADO. 

and  devoting  the  proceeds  to  the  oenefit  of  the  Church  Personal. 
At  the  time  we  passed,  several  frame  houses  had  sprung  up 
around  the  Mission,  on  grounds  thus  leased.  Beyond  the  build 
ings,  we  entered  a  magnificent  road,  three  miles  in  length,  and 
shaded  by  an  avenue  of  evergreen  oaks,  leading  to  Pueblo  San 
Jose,  which  we  reached  at  dusk. 

Pueblo  San  Jose,  situated  about  five  miles  from  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  in  the  mouth  of  the 
beautiful  valley  of  San  Jose,  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  inland 
towns  in  California.  On  my  first  visit,  it  was  mainly  a  collection 
of  adobe  houses,  with  tents  and  a  few  clapboard  dwellings,  of  the 
season's  growth,  scattered  over  a  square  half-mile.  As  we  were 
entering,  I  noticed  a  little  white  box,  with  pillars  and  triangular 
fagade  in  front,  and  remarked  to  my  friend  that  it  had  certainly 
been  taken  bodily  from  Lynn  and  set  down  there.  Truly  enough, 
it  was  a  shoe  store  !  Several  stores  and  hotels  had  been  opened 
within  a  few  weeks,  and  the  price  of  lots  was  only  lower  than  those 
of  San  Francisco.  We  rode  into  an  open  plaza,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length,  about  which  the  town  was  built,  and  were  directed 
to  the  Miner's  Home,  a  decent-looking  hotel,  near  its  northern 
end.  Our  mules  were  turned  into  a  stable  at  hand  ;  tea,  with  the 
substantial  addition  of  beefsteak,  was  served  to  us,  and  lighting 
the  calumet,  we  lounged  on  the  bench  at  the  door,  enjoying  that 
repose  which  is  only  tasted  after  wearisome  travel.  Lieut.  Beale 
went  off  to  seek  Col.  Fremont,  who  was  staying  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  G-rove  Cook  ;  Col.  Lyons  and  myself  lay  down  on  the  floor 
among  half  a  dozen  other  travelers  and  fleas  which  could  not  be 
counted. 

In  the  morning  we  went  with  Lieut.  Beale  to  call  upon  Col 
Fremont,  whom  we  found  on  the  portico  of  Mr.  Cook's  house, 


COLONEL    FREMONT.  69 

wearing  a  sombrero  and  Californian  jacket,  and  showing  no  trace 
of  the  terrible  hardships  he  had  lately  undergone.  It  may  be  in 
teresting  to  the  thousands  who  have  followed  him,  as  readers  may, 
on  his  remarkable  journeys  and  explorations  for  the  past  eight 
years,  to  know  that  he  is  a  man  of  about  thirty-five  years  of  age  , 
of  medium  height,  and  lightly,  but  most  compactly  knit — in  fact, 
I  have  seen  in  no  other  man  the  qualities  of  lightness,  activity, 
strength  and  physical  endurance  in  so  perfect  an  equilibrium. 
His  face  is  rather  thin  and  embrowned  by  exposure  ;  his  nose  a 
bold  aquiline  and  his  eyes  deep-set  and  keen  as  a  hawk's.  The 
rough  camp-life  of  many  years  has  lessened  in  no  degree  his  na 
tive  refinement  of  character  and  polish  of  manners.  A  stranger 
would  never  suppose  him  to  be  the  Columbus  of  our  central 
wildernesses,  though  when  so  informed,  would  believe  it  without 
surprise. 

After  the  disastrous  fate  of  his  party  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
Rio  del  Norte,  Col.  Fremont  took  the  southern  route  through 
Sonora,  striking  the  Gila  River  at  the  Pimos  Village.  It  was  ex 
ceedingly  rough  and  fatiguing,  but  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  find 
in  the  bottoms  along  the  river,  where  no  vegetation  had  been 
heard  of  or  expected,  large  patches  of  wild  wheat.  The  only 
supposition  by  which  this  could  be  accounted  for,  was  that  it  fell 
from  the  store-wagons  attached  to  Major  Graham's  command, 
which  passed  over  the  route  the  previous  autumn.  Otherwise, 
the  bursting  forth  of  a  river  in  the  midst  of  the  Great  Desert, 
which  I  have  already  mentioned,  and  the  appearance  of  wheat 
among  the  sterile  sands  of  the  Grila,  would  seem  like  a  marvellous 
coincidence,  not  wholly  unsui^ed  to  the  time.  Col.  Fremont  had 
just  returned  from  the  Mariposa  River,  where  his  party  of  men 
was  successfully  engaged  in  go'd-digginj  In  addition,  he  had  com- 


70  ELDORADO. 

menced  a  more  secure  business,  in  the  establishment  of  a  eteam 
saw-mill  at  Pueblo  San  Jose.  The  forests  of  redwood  close  at 
hand  make  fine  timber,  and  he  had  a  year's  work  engaged  before 
the  mill  was  in  operation.  Lumber  was  then  bringing  $500  per 
thousand  feet,  and  not  long  before  brought  $1,500. 

At  the  house  of  Mr.  Cook  we  also  saw  Andrew  Sublette,  the 
celebrated  mountaineer,  who  accompanied  Lieut.  Beale  on  hi 
overland  journey,  the  winter  before.  He  was  lame  from  scurvy 
brought  on  by  privations  endured  on  that  occasion  and  his  subse 
quent  labors  in  the  placers.  Sublette,  who  from  his  bravery  and 
daring  has  obtained  among  the  Indians  the  name  of  Kee-ta-tah- 
ve-sak,  or  One-who-walks-in-fire,  is  a  man  of  about  thirty-seven, 
of  fair  complexion,  long  brown  hair  and  beard,  and  a  countenance 
expressing  the  extreme  of  manly  frankness  and  integrity.  Lieut. 
Beale,  who  has  the  highest  admiration  of  his  qualities,  related  to 
me  many  instances  of  his  heroic  character.  Preuss  and  Kreuz- 
feldt,  Fremont's  old  campaigners,  who  so  narrowly  escaped  per 
ishing  among  the  snows  of  the  central  chain,  were  at  the  Miner's 
Home,  at  the  time  of  our  stay. 

About  noon  we  saddled  our  mules,  laid  in  a  stock  of  provisions 
and  started  for  Stockton.  At  the  outset,  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  keep  the  animals  in  order ;  Picayune,  in  spite  of  his  load, 
dashed  out  into  the  mustard  fields,  and  Ambrose,  our  brown  mule, 
led  us  off  in  all  sorts  of  zigzag  chases.  The  man  to  whom  we  had 
paid  $2  a  head  for  their  night's  lodging  and  fare,  had  absolutely 
starved  them,  and  the  popr  beasts  resisted  our  efforts  to  make  them 
travel.  In  coursing  after  them  through  the  tall  weeds,  we  got  off 
the  trail,  and  it  was  some  time  before  we  made  much  progress 
towards  the  Mission  of  San  Jose.  The  valley,  fifteen  miles  in 
breadth,  is  well  watered  and  may  be  made  to  produce  the  finest 


A    SONORIAN    COMRADE.  71 

wheat  crops  in  the  world.  It  is  perfectly  level  and  dotted  all  over 
its  surface  with  clumps  of  magnificent  oaks,  cypresses  and  syca 
mores.  A  few  miles  west  of  the  Pueblo  there  is  a  large  forest  of 
red  wood,  or  California  cypress,  and  the  quicksilver  mines  of  Santa 
Clara  are  in  the  same  vicinity.  Sheltered  from  the  cold  winds  of 
the  sea,  the  climate  is  like  that  of  Italy.  The  air  is  a  fluid  balm. 

Before  traveling  many  miles  we  overtook  a  Sonorian  riding  on 
his  burro  or  jackass,  with  a  wooden  bowl  hanging  to  the  saddle 
and  a  crowbar  and  lance  slung  crosswise  before  him.  We  offered 
him  the  use  of  our  extra  mule  if  he  would  join  us,  to  which  he 
gave  a  willing  consent.  Burro  was  accordingly  driven  loose  laden 
with  the  gold-hunting  tools,  and  our  Bedouin,  whom  we  christened 
Tompkins,  trotted  beside  us  well  pleased.  At  the  Mission  of  San 
Jose  we  dispatched  him  to  buy  meat,  and  for  half  a  dollar  he 
brought  us  at  least  six  yards,  salted  and  slightly  dried  for  trans 
portation.  The  Mission — a  spacious  stone  building,  with  court 
yard  and  long  corridors — is  built  upon  the  lower  slope  of  the 
mountains  dividing  San  Francisco  Bay  from  the  San  Joaquin 
valley,  and  a  garden  extends  behind  it  along  the  banks  of  a  little 
stream. 

The  sight  of  a  luxuriant  orchard  peeping  over  the  top  of  its 
mud  walls,  was  too  tempting  to  be  resisted,  so,  leaving  Lieutenant 
Beale  to  jog  ahead  with  Tompkins  and  the  loose  animals,  Colonel 
Lyons  and  myself  rode  up  the  hill,  scrambled  over  and  found 
ourselves  in  a  wilderness  of  ripening  fruit.  Hundreds  of  pear 
and  apple  trees  stood  almost  breaking  with  their  harvest,  which 
lay  rotting  by  cart-loads  on  the  ground.  Plums,  grapes,  figs  and 
other  fruits,  not  yet  ripened,  filled  the  garden.  I  shall  never 
forget  how  grateful  the  pears  of  San  Jose  were  to  our  parched 
throats,  nor  what  an  alarming  quantity  we  ate  before  we  found  it 


72  ELDORADO. 

possible  to  stop.  I  have  been  told  that  the  garden  is  irrigated 
during  the  dry  season,  and  that  where  this  method  is  practicable, 
fruit  trees  of  all  kinds  can  be  made  to  yield  to  a  remarkable 
extent. 

Immediately  on  leaving  the  Mission  we  struck  into  a  narrow 
canon  among  the  mountains,  and  following  its  windings  reached 
the  "  divide,"  or  ridge  which  separates  the  streams,  in  an  hour. 
From  the  summit  the  view  extended  inland  over  deep  valleys  and 
hazy  mountain  ranges  as  far  as  the  vision  could  reach.  Lines  o* 
beautiful  timber  followed  the  course  of  the  arroyos  down  the  sides 
streaking  the  yellow  hue  of  the  wild  oats,  which  grew  as  thickly 
as  an  ordinary  crop  at  home.  Descending  to  a  watered  valley,  we 
heard  some  one  shouting  from  a  slope  on  our  left,  where  a  herd  of 
cattle  was  grazing.  It  was  Lieut.  Beale,  who  had  chosen  our 
camping-ground  in  a  little  glen  below,  under  a  cluster  of  oaks. 
We  unpacked,  watered  our  mules,  led  them  up  a  steep  ascent, 
and  picketed  them  in  a  thick  bed  of  oats.  I  had  taken  the  lash- 
rope,  of  plaited  raw-hide,  for  the  purpose  of  tethering  Ambrose, 
but  Tompkins,  who  saw  me,  cried :  "  Cuidado  !  hay  bastanle 
coyotes  aqui,"  (Take  care !  there  are  plenty  of  coyotes  here) — 
which  animals  invariably  gnaw  in  twain  all  kinds  of  ropes  except 
hemp  and  horse-hair.  The  picketing  done,  we  set  about  cooking 
our  supper  ;  Tompkins  was  very  active  in  making  the  fire,  and 
when  all  was  ready,  produced  a  good  dish  of  stewed  beef  and 
tortillas,  to  which  we  added  some  ham,  purchased  in  San  Jose 
at  eighty  cents  the  pound.  We  slept  under  the  branching 
curtains  of  our  glen  chamber,  wakened  only  once  or  twice  by  the 
howling  of  the  coyotes  and  the  sprinkling  of  rain  in  our  faces 
By  sunrise  we  had  breakfast  and  started  again. 

The  first  twenty  miles  of  our  journey  passed  through  one  of 


CROSSING    THE    COAST    RANGE.  73 

the  most  beautiful  regions  in  the  world.  The  broad  oval  valleys, 
shaded  by  magnificent  oaks  and  enclosed  by  the  lofty  mountains 
of  the  Coast  Range,  open  beyond  each  other  like  a  suite  of  palace 
chambers,  each  charming  more  than  the  last.  The  land  is 
admirably  adapted  for  agricultural  or  grazing  purposes,  and  in  a 
few  years  will  become  one  of  the  most  flourishing  districts  in 
California. 

We  passed  from  these  into  hot,  scorched  plains,  separated  by 
low  ranges  of  hills,  on  one  of  which  is  situated  Livermore's 
Ranche,  whose  owner,  Mr.  Livermore,  is  the  oldest  American 
resident  in  the  country,  having  emigrated  thither  in  1820.  He  is 
married  to  a  native  woman,  and  seems  to  have  entirely  outgrown 
his  former  habits  of  life.  We  obtained  from  him  dinner  for 
ourselves  and  mules  at  $2  25  each  ;  and  finding  there  was  neither 
grass  nor  water  for  twenty-five  miles,  made  an  early  start  for  our 
long  afternoon's  ride.  The  road  entered  another  canon,  through 
which  we  toiled  for  miles  before  reaching  the  last  "  divide."  On 
the  summit  we  met  several  emigrant  companies  with  wagons, 
coming  from  Sutter's  Mill.  The  children,  as  brown  and  wild- 
looking  as  Indians,  trudged  on  in  the  dust,  before  the  oxen,  and 
several  girls  of  twelve  years  old,  rode  behind  on  horses,  keeping 
together  the  loose  animals  of  the  party.  Their  invariable  greeting 
was  :  "  How  far  to  water  ?" 

From  the  top  of  the  divide  we  hailed  with  a  shout  the  great 
plain  of  San  Joaquin,  visible  through  the  openings  among  the 
hills,  like  a  dark-blue  ocean,  to  which  the  leagues  of  wild  oats 
made  a  vast  beach  of  yellow  sand.  At  least  a  hundred  miles  of 
its  surface  were  visible,  and  the  hazy  air,  made  more  dense  by  the 
smoke  of  the  burning  tule  marshes,  alone  prevented  us  from 

seeing  the  snowy  outline  of  the  Sierra  Nevada      After  descending 
VOL.  i.      4 


74  ELDORADO. 

and  traveling  a  dozen  miles  on  the  hot,  arid  level,  we  reached  a 
slough  making  out  from  the  San  Joaquin.  The  sun  had  long  been 
down,  but  a  bright  quarter-moon  was  in  the  sky,  by  whose  light 
we  selected  a  fine  old  tree  for  our  place  of  repose.  A  tent, 
belonging  to  some  other  travelers,  was  pitched  at  a  little  distance. 

Feeling  the  ground  with  our  hands  to  find  the  spots  where  the 
grass  was  freshest,  we  led  our  mules  into  a  little  tongue  of 
meadow-land,  half-embraced  by  the  slough,  and  tied  them  to  the 
low  branches,  giving  them  the  full  benefit  of  their  tether.  Tomp- 
kins  complained  of  illness,  and  rolling  himself  in  his  sarape,  lay 
down  on  the  plain,  under  the  open  sky.  We  were  too  hungry  to 
dispose  of  the  day  so  quickly  ;  a  yard  of  jerked  beef  was  cut  off,  and 
while  Lieut.  Beale  prepared  it  for  cooking,  Col.  Lyons  and  my 
self  wandered  about  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  picking  up  every 
thing  that  cracked  under  our  feet.  The  clear  red  blaze  of  the 
fire  made  our  oak-tree  an  enchanted  palace.  Its  great  arms,  that 
arched  high  above  us  and  bent  down  till  they  nearly  reached  the 
ground,  formed  a  hollow  dome  around  the  columnar  trunk,  which 
was  fretted  and  embossed  with  a  thousand  ornaments  of  foliage. 
The  light  streamed  up,  momentarily,  reddening  the  deeps  within 
deeps  of  the  bronze-like  leaves  ;  then  sinking  low  again,  the  sha 
dows  returned  and  the  stars  winked  brightly  between  the  wreathed 
mullions  of  our  fantastic  windows. 

The  meal  finished,  we  went  towards  the  tent  in  our  search  for 
water.  Several  sleepers,  rolled  in  their  blankets,  were  stretched 
under  the  trees,  and  two  of  them,  to  our  surprise,  were  enjoying 
the  luxury  of  musquito  bars.  On  the  bank  of  the  slouo-h,  we 

O      / 

found  a  shallow  well,  covered  with  dead  boughs  ;  Lieut.  Beale, 
stretching  his  hand  down  towards  the  water,  took  hold  of  a  snake, 
which  wag  even  more  startled  than  he.  Our  quest  was  repaid  by 


THE    MOSQUITOS    AND    THE    FERRY.  75 

a  hearty  draught,  notwithstanding  :ts  earthy  flavor,  and  we  betook 
ourselves  to  sleep.  The  mosquitos  were  terribly  annoying  ;  after 
many  vain  attempts  to  escape  them,  I  was  forced  to  roll  a  blanket 
around  my  head,  by  which  means  I  could  sleep  till  I  began  to 
smother,  and  then  repeat  the  operation.  Waking  about  mid 
night,  confused  and  flushed  with  this  business,  I  saw  the  moon, 
looming  fiery  and  large  on  the  horizon.  "  Surely,"  thought  I, 
with  a  half-awake  wandering  of  fancy,  "  the  moon  has  been  bitten 
by  mosquitos,  and  that  is  the  reason  why  her  face  is  so  swollen 
and  inflamed." 

Five  miles  next  morning  took  us  to  the  San  Joaquin,  which  was 
about  thirty  yards  in  width.  Three  Yankees  had  "  squatted"  at 
the  crossing,  and  established  a  ferry ;  the  charge  for  carrying 
over  a  man  and  horse  was  $2,  and  as  this  route  was  much  traveled, 
their  receipts  ranged  from  $500  to  $1,000  daily.  In  addition  to 
this,  they  had  a  tavern  and  grazing  camp,  which  were  very  pro 
fitable.  They  built  the  ferry-boat,  which  was  a  heavy  flat,  hauled 
across  with  a  rope,  with  their  own  hands,  as  well  as  a  launch  of 
sixty  tons,  doing  a  fine  business  between  Stockton  and  San  Fran 
cisco.  Tompkins,  who  perhaps  imagined  that  some  witchcraft  of 
ours  had  occasioned  his  illness,  here  left  us,  and  we  saw  his 
swarthy  face  no  more.  Disengaging  our  loose  mules  from  a  corral 
full  of  horses,  into  which  they  had  dashed,  from  a  sudden  freak 
of  affection,  we  launched  into  another  plain,  crossed  in  all  direc 
tions  by  tule  swamps,  and  made  towards  a  dim  shore  of  timber 
twelve  miles  distant. 


CHAPTER  VIII, 

CAMP-LIFE,    AND    A    RIDE    TO    THE    DIGGINGS. 

As  we  came  off  the  scorching  calm  of  the  plain  into  the  shadow 
of  the  trees,  we  discerned  two  tents  ahead,  on  a  gentle  knoll. 
This  was  the  camp  of  Major  Graham,  who  commanded  the  expe 
dition  sent  from  Monterey,  Mexico,  overland  into  California,  in 
the  summer  of  1848.  He  was  employing  a  little  time,  before  re 
turning  home,  in  speculating  on  his  own  account  and  had  estab 
lished  himself  near  Stockton  with  a  large  herd  of  horses  and  cattle, 
on  which  he  was  making  good  profits.  Lieut.  Beale  was  an  old 
acquaintance  of  the  Major's,  and  as  friends  of  the  former  we  were 
made  equally  welcome.  We  found  him  sitting  on  a  camp-stool, 
outside  the  tent,  wearing  a  hunting-jacket  and  broad-brimmed 
white  hat.  With  a  prompt  hospitality  that  would  take  no  denial, 
he  ordered  our  mules  driven  out  to  his  caballada,  had  our  packs 
piled  up  in  the  shade  of  one  of  his  oaks,  and  gave  directions  for 
dinner.  For  four  days  thereafter  we  saw  the  stars  through  his 
tree-tops,  between  our  dreams,  and  shared  the  abundant  fare  of 
his  camp-table,  varying  the  delightful  repose  of  such  life  by  an 
occasional  gallop  into  Stockton.  Mr.  Callahan,  an  old  settler,  who 
had  pitched  his  tent  near  Major  Graham's,  went  out  every  morning 
to  hunt  elk  among  the  tule,  and  we  were  daily  supplied  with  steaks 


STOCKTON.  77 

and  cutlets  from  his  spoils.  In  the  early  morning  the  elk  mighl 
be  seen  in  bands  of  forty  or  fifty,  grazing  on  the  edge  of  the 
marshes,  where  they  were  sometimes  lassoed  by  the  native  vaque- 
ros,  and  taken  into  Stockton.  We  saw  the  coyotes  occasionally 
prowling  along  the  margin  of  the  slough,  but  they  took  good  care 
to  sneak  off  before  a  chance  could  be  had  to  shoot  them.  The 
plain  was  perforated  in  all  directions  by  the  holes  of  a  large  bur 
rowing  squirrel,  of  a  gray  color,  and  flocks  of  magpies  and  tufted 
partridges  made  their  covert  in  the  weeds  and  wild  oats. 

Our  first  visit  to  Stockton  was  made  in  company,  on  some  of 
Major  Graham's  choicest  horses.  A  mettled  roan  canalo  fell  to 
my  share,  and  the  gallop  of  five  miles  without  check  was  most  in 
spiring.  A  view  of  Stockton  was  something  to  be  remembered. 
There,  in  the  heart  of  California,  where  the  last  winter  stood  a 
solitary  ranche  in  the  midst  of  tule  marshes,  I  found  a  canvas 
town  of  a  thousand  inhabitants,  and  a  port  with  twenty-five  vessels 
at  anchor !  The  mingled  noises  of  labor  around — the  click  of 
of  hammers  and  the  grating  of  saws — the  shouts  of  mule  drivers 
— the  jingling  of  spurs — the  jar  ard  jostle  of  wares  in  the  tents — 
almost  cheated  me  into  the  belief  that  it  was  some  old  commercial 
mart,  familiar  with  such  sounds  for  years  past.  Four  months, 
only,  had  sufficed  to  make  the  place  what  it  was  ;  and  in  that  time 
a  wholesale  firm  established  there  (one  out  of  a  dozen)  had  done 
business  to  the  amount  of  $100,000.  The  same  party  had  just 
purchased  a  lot  eighty  by  one  hundred  feet,  on  the  principal  street, 
for  $6,000,  and  the  cost  of  erecting  a  common  one-story  clapboard 
house  on  it  was  $15,000. 

I  can  liken  my  days  at  Major  Graham's  camp  to  no  previous 
phase  of  my  existence.  They  were  the  realization  of  a  desire 
sometimes  felt,  sometimes  expressed  in  poetry,  but  rarely  enjoyed 


78  ELDORADO. 

in  complete  fulfilment.  In  the  repose  of  Nature,  unbroken  day 
or  night ;  the  subtle  haze  pervading  the  air,  softening  all  sights 
and  subduing  all  sounds  ;  the  still,  breathless  heat  of  the  day  and 
the  starry  hush  of  the  night — the  oak-tree  was  for  me  a  perfect 
Castle  of  Indolence.  Lying  at  full  length  on  the  ground,  in  list 
less  ease,  whichever  way  I  looked  my  eye  met  the  same  enchanting 
groupage  of  the  oaks,  the  same  glorious  outlines  and  massed  sha 
dows  of  foliage  ;  while  frequent  openings,  through  the  farthest 
clumps,  gave  boundless  glimpses  of  the  plain  beyond.  Scarcely 
a  leaf  stirred  in  the  slumberous  air  ;  and  giving  way  to  the  deli 
cate  languor  that  stole  in  upon  my  brain,  I  seemed  to  lie  apart 
from  my  own  mind  and  to  watch  the  lazy  waves  of  thought  that 
sank  on  its  shores  without  a  jar.  All  effort — even  the  memory  of 
effort — came  like  a  sense  of  pain.  It  was  an  abandonment  to 
rest,  like  that  of  the  "  Lotos-Eaters,"  and  the  feeling  of  these 
lines,  not  the  words,  was  with  me  constantly : 

"  Why  should  we  toil  alone, 
We  only  toil,  who  are  the  first  of  things, 
And  make  perpetual  moan, 
Still  from  one  sorrow  to  another  thrown ; 
Nor  ever  fold  our  wings 
And  cease  from  wanderings, 
Nor  steep  our  brows  in  slumber's  holy  balm : 
Nor  harken  what  the  inner  spirit  sings, 
*  There  is  no  joy  but  calm  !'  " 

There  is  one  peculiarity  about  the  Californian  oaks,  which  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  seen  noticed.  In  the  dry  heat  of  the  long 
summer  seasons,  their  fibre  becomes  brittle,  and  frequently  at 
noon-day,  when  not  a  breath  of  air  is  stirring,  one  of  their  stout 
arms  parts  from  the  trunk  without  the  slightest  warning  sound 


ROCKY    MOUNTAIN    MEN.  79 

and  drops  bodily  to  the  earth.  More  than  one  instance  is  related, 
in  which  persons  have  been  killed  by  their  fall.  For  this  reason 
the  native  Californians  generally  camp  outside  of  the  range  of  the 
limbs. 

After  discussing  our  further  plans,  it  was  decided  to  visit  the 
Mokelumne  Diggings,  which  were  the  most  accessible  from  Stock 
ton.  Accordingly,  on  Monday  morning,  our  mules  were  driven 
in  from  the  plain  and  saddled  for  the  journey.  The  sun  was 
shining  hotly  as  we  rode  over  the  plain  to  Stockton,  and  the  tent- 
streets  of  the  miraculous  town  glowed  like  the  avenues  of  a  brick- 
Kiln.  The  thermometer  stood  at  98°,  and  the  parched,  sandy  soil 
burnt  through  our  very  boot-soles.  We  therefore  determined  to 
wait  till  evening  before  starting  for  another  stage  to  the  Moke 
lumne.  While  waiting  in  the  tent  of  Mr.  Belt,  the  alcalde  of  the 
place,  I  made  acquaintance  with  two  noted  mountaineers — Mr. 
William  Knight,  the  first  man  who  followed  in  the  track  of  Lewis 
and  Clark,  on  the  Columbia  River,  and  White  Elliott,  a  young 
Missourian,  who  for  ten  years  had  been  rambling  through  New 
Mexico  and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  latter  had  been  one  of 
Lieut.  Beale's  men  on  the  Grila,  and  the  many  perils  they  then 
shared  gave  their  present  meeting  a  peculiar  interest.  Elliott, 
who,  young  as  he  was,  had  undergone  everything  that  could  harden 
and  toughen  a  man  out  of  all  sensibility,  colored  like  a  young  girl 
his  eyes  were  wet  and  he  scarcely  found  voice  to  speak.  I  had 
many  opportunities  of  seeing  him  afterwards  and  appreciating  his 
thorough  nobleness  and  sincerity  of  character. 

Mr.  Raney,  who  had  just  established  a  line  of  conveyance  to 
the  Mokelumne,  kindly  offered  to  accompany  us  as  far  as  his 
ranche  on  the  Calaveras  River,  twenty-four  miles  distant.  We 
started  at  four  o'clock,  when  a  pleasant  breeze  had  sprung  up, 


SO  ELDORADO. 

and  rode  on  over  the  level  plain,  through  beautiful  groves  of  oak 
The  trail  was  crossed  by  deep,  dry  arroyos,  which,  in  the  rainy 
season,  make  the  country  almost  impassable  ;  now,  however,  the 
very  beds  of  the  tule  marshes  were  beginning  to  dry  up  The  air 
was  thicker  than  evei  with  the  smoke  of  burning  tule,  and  as  we 
journeyed  along  in  the  hazy  moonlight,  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountains  were  not  visible  till  we  reached  Mr.  Raney-s  ranche, 
which  lies  at  their  base.  We  gave  our  tired  mules  a  good  feed  of 
barley,  and,  after  an  excellent  supper  which  he  had  prepared,  be 
took  ourselves  to  rest.  The  tent  was  made  of  saplings,  roofed 
with  canvas,  but  had  cost  $1,000  ;  the  plain  all  around  was 
covered  deep  with  dust,  which  the  passing  trains  of  mules  kept 
constantly  in  the  air.  Nevertheless,  for  the  first  time  in  several 
days,  we  slept  in  a  bed — the  bed  of  Calaveras  River,  and  in  the 
deepest  hollow  of  its  gold-besprinkled  sands.  The  stream,  which 
in  the  spring  is  thirty  feet  deep,  was  perfectly  dry,  and  the  timber 
on  its  banks  made  a  roof  far  above,  which  shut  out  the  wind  and 
sand,  but  let  in  the  starlight.  Heaping  the  loose  gravel  for  pil 
lows,  we  enjoyed  a  delightful  sleep,  interrupted  only  once  by  the 
howling  of  a  large  gray  wolf,  prowling  in  the  thickets  over  us. 

While  waiting  for  breakfast,  I  saw  a  curious  exemplification  of 
the  careless  habits  of  the  miners,  in  regard  to  money.     One  of 
the  mule-drivers  wanted  to  buy  a  pistol  which  belonged  'to  an 
other,   and  as  the  article  was  in  reality  worth  next  to  nothing, 
offered  him  three  dollars  for  it.      "  I  will  sell  nothing  for  such  a 

O 

beggarly  sum,"  said  the  owner :  "  you  are  welcome  to  take  the 
pistol."  The  other  took  it,  but  laid  the  three  dollars  on  a  log,  say 
ing  :  "  you  must  take  it,  for  I  shall  never  touch  it  again."  "  Well," 
was  the  reply,  "  then  I'll  do  what  I  please  with  it ;"  and  he  flung 
the  dollars  into  the  road  and  walked  away.  An  Irishman  who 


FIERY     TRAVEL THE    MULE7S    HEART.  81 

stood  by,  raked  in  the  dust  for  some  time,  but  only  recovered 
about  half  the  money. 

Leaving  the  ranche  soon  after  sunrise,  we  entered  the  hills. 
The  country  was  dotted  with  picturesque  clumps  of  oak,  and,  as 
the  ground  became  higher  and  more  broken,  with  pines  of  splen 
did  growth.  Around  their  feet  were  scattered  piles  of  immense 
cones,  which  had  been  broken  up  for  the  sake  of  the  spicy  kernels 
they  contain.  Trails  of  deer  could  be  seen  on  all  the  hills,  lead 
ing  down  to  chance  green  spots  in  the  hollows,  which  a  month  since 
furnished  water.  Now,  however,  the  ground  was  parched  as  in  a 
furnace  ;  the  vegetation  snapped  like  glass  under  the  hoofs  of  our 
mules,  and  the  cracks  and  seams  in  the  arid  soil  seemed  to  give 
out  an  intense  heat  from  some  subterranean  fire.  In  the  glens 
and  canadas,  where  the  little  air  stirring  was  cut  off,  the  mercury 
rose  to  110°  ;  perspiration  was  dried  as  soon  as  formed,  and  I 
began  to  think  I  should  soon  be  done  to  a  turn. 

After  traveling  about  fourteen  miles,  we  were  joined  by  three 
miners,  and  our  mules,  taking  a  sudden  liking  for  their  horses, 
jogged  on  at  a  more  brisk  rate.  The  instincts  of  the  mulish  heart 
form  an  interesting  study  to  the  traveler  in  the  mountains.  I 
would,  were  the  comparison  not  too  ungallant,  liken  it  to  a  wo 
man's,  for  it  is  quite  as  uncertain  in  its  sympathies,  bestowing  its 
affections  where  least  expected,  and  when  bestowed,  quite  as  con 
stant,  so  long  as  the  object  is  not  taken  away.  Sometimes  a  hoi  so, 
eometimes  an  ass,  captivates  the  fancy  of  a  whole  drove  of  mules  ; 
but  often  an  animal  nowise  akin.  Lieut.  Beale  told  me  that  his 
whole  train  of  mules  once  took  a  stampede  on  the  plains  of  the 
Cimarone,  and  ran  half  a  mile,  when  they  halted  in  apparent  satis 
faction.  The  cause  of  their  freak  was  found  to  be  a  buffalo  calf, 
which  had  strayed  from  the  herd.  They  were  frisking  around  it 
4* 


82  ELDORADO. 

in  the  greatest  delight,  rubbing  their  noses  against  it,  throwing  up 
their  heels  and  making  themselves  ridiculous  by  abortive  attempts 
to  neigh  and  bray,  while  the  poor  calf,  unconscious  of  its  attractive 
qualities,  stood  trembling  in  their  midst.  It  is  customary  to 
have  a  horse  in  the  atajos,  or  mule-trains,  of  the  traders  in 
Northern  Mexico,  as  a  sort  of  magnet  to  keep  together  the  separate 
atoms  of  the  train,  for,  whatever  the  temptation,  they  will  never 
stray  far  from  him. 

"We  turned  from  the  main  road,  which  led  to  the  Upper  Bar, 
and  took  a  faint  trail  leading  over  the  hills  to  the  Lower  Bar. 
The  winding  canon  up  which  we  passed  must  be  a  paradise  in 
Spring  ;  even  at  the  close  of  August  the  dry  bed  of  the  stream 
was  shaded  by  trees  of  every  picturesque  form  that  a  painter 
could  desire.  Crossing  several  steep  spurs,  we  reached  the  top  of 
the  divide  overlooking  the  Mokelumne  Valley,  and  here  one  of 
the  most  charming  mountain  landscapes  in  the  world  opened  to 
our  view.  Under  our  very  feet,  as  it  seemed,  flowed  the  river, 
and  a  little  corner  of  level  bottom,  wedged  between  the  bases  of 
the  hills,  was  dotted  with  the  tents  of  the  gold-hunters,  whom  we 
could  see  burrowing  along  the  water.  The  mountains,  range 
behind  range,  spotted  with  timber,  made  a  grand,  indistinct 
background  in  the  smoky  air, — a  large,  fortress-like  butte,  toward 
the  Cosumne  River,  the  most  prominent  of  all.  Had  the  atmos 
phere  been  clearer,  the  snowy  crown  of  the  Nevada,  beyond  all, 
would  have  made  the  picture  equal  to  any  in  Tyrol. 

Coming  down  the  almost  perpendicular  side  of  the  hill,  my 
saddle  began  to  slip  over  the  mule's  straight  shoulders,  and,  dis 
mounting,  I  waded  the  rest  of  the  way  knee-desp  in  dust.  Near 
the  bottom  we  came  upon  the  Sonorian  Town,  as  it  was  called, 
from  the  number  of  Mexican  miners  encampod  thnre.  Tho  place, 


ARRIVAL    AT    THE    DIGGINGS.  83 

which  was  a  regularly  laid-out  town  of  sapling  houses,  without 
walls  and  roofed  with  loose  oak  boughs,  had  sprung  up  in  the 
wilderness  in  three  weeks  :  there  were  probably  three  hundred 
persons  living  in  or  near  it.  Under  the  open  canopies  of  oak  we 
heard,  as  we  passed  along,  the  jingle  of  coin  at  the  monte  tables, 
and  saw  crowds  gathered  to  watch  the  progress  of  the  game. 
One  of  the  first  men  Lieutenant  Beale  saw  was  Baptiste  Perrot, 
a  mountaineer  who  had  been  in  his  overland  party.  He  kept  a 
hotel,  which  was  an  open  space  under  a  branch  roof ;  the 
appliances  were  two  tables  of  rough  plank,  (one  for  meals  and 
one  for  monte,)  with  logs  resting  on  forked  limbs  as  seats,  and  a 
bar  of  similar  materials,  behind  which  was  ranged  a  goodly  stock 
of  liquors  and  preserved  provisions.  We  tethered  our  mules  to  a 
stump  in  the  rear  of  the  hotel,  hastened  supper,  and  made  our 
selves  entirely  at  home. 


CHAPTER  IX, 

THE    DIGGINGS    ON    MOKELUMNE    RIVER. 

OUR  first  move  was  for  the  river  bottom,  where  a  number  of 
Americans,  Sonorians,  Kanakas  and  French  were  at  work  in  the 
hot  sun.  The  bar,  as  it  was  called,  was  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  a  level  space  at  the  junction  of  the  river  with  a  dry  arroyo 
or  "  gulch,''  which  winds  for  about  eight  miles  among  the  hills 
It  was  hard  and  rocky,  with  no  loose  sand  except  such  as  had 
lodged  between  the  large  masses  of  stone,  which  must  of  course  be 
thrown  aside  to  get  at  the  gold.  The  whole  space,  containing 
about  four  acres,  appeared  to  have  been  turned  over  with  great 
labor,  and  all  the  holes  slanting  down  between  the  broken  strata 
of  slate,  to  have  been  explored  to  the  bottom.  No  spot  could  ap 
pear  more  unpromising  to  the  inexperienced  gold-hunter.  Yet 
the  Sonorians,  washing  out  the  loose  dust  and  dirt  which  they 
scraped  up  among  the  rocks,  obtained  from  $10  to  two  ounces 
daily.  The  first  party  we  saw  had  just  succeeded  in  cutting  a 
new  channel  for  the  shrunken  waters  of  the  Mokelumne,  and  were 
commencing  operations  on  about  twenty  yards  of  the  river-bed, 
which  they  had  laid  bare.  They  were  ten  in  number,  and  their 
only  implements  were  shovels,  a  rude  cradle  for  the  top  layer  of 
earth,  and  flat  wooden  bowls  for  washing  out  the  sands.  Bap- 


GOLD    IN    THE    RIVER-BED.  85 

fciste  took  one  of  the  bowls  which  was  full  of  sand,  and  in  fire 
minutes  showed  us  a  dozen  grains  of  bright  gold.  The  company 
had  made  in  the  forenoon  about  three  pounds  ;  we  watched  them 
at  their  work  till  the  evening,  when  three  pounds  more  were 
produced,  making  an  average  of  seven  ounces  for  each  man.  The 
gold  was  of  the  purest  qurlity  and  most  beautiful  color.  When  I 
first  saw  the  men,  carrying  heavy  stones  in  the  sun,  standing  nearly 
waist-deep  in  water,  and  grubbing  with  their  hands  in  the  gravel 
and  clay,  there  seemed  to  me  little  virtue  in  resisting  the  tempta 
tion  to  gold  digging  ;  but  when  the  shining  particles  were  poured 
out  lavishly  from  a  tin  basin,  I  confess  there  was  a  sudden  itching 
in  my  fingers  to  seize  the  heaviest  crowbar  and  the  biggest  shovel. 

A  company  of  thirty,  somewhat  further  down  the  river,  had 
made  a  much  larger  dam,  after  a  month's  labor,  and  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  bed  were  clear.  They  commenced  washing  in  the 
afternoon  and  obtained  a  very  encouraging  result.  The  next 
morning,  however,  they  quarreled,  as  most  companies  do,  and 
finally  applied  to  Mr.  James  and  Dr.  Gillette,  two  of  the  prin 
cipal  operators,  to  settle  the  difficulty  by  having  the  whole  bed 
washed  out  at  their  own  expense  and  taking  half  the  gold.  As 
all  the  heavy  work  was  done,  the  contractors  expected  to  make  a 
considerable  sum  by  the  operation.  Many  of  the  Americans  em 
ployed  Sonorians  and  Indians  to  work  for  them,  giving  them  half 
the  gold  and  finding  them  in  provisions.  Notwithstanding  the 
enormous  prices  of  every  article  of  food,  these  people  could  be 
kept  for  about  a  dollar  daily — consequently  those  who  hire  them 
profited  handsomely. 

After  we  had  taken  the  sharp  edge  off  our  curiosity,  we  re 
turned  to  our  quarters.  Dr.  Gillette,  Mr.  James,  Captain  Tracy 
and  several  other  of  the  miners  entertained  us  with  a  hospitality 


86  ELDORADO. 

as  gratifying  as  it  was  unexpected.  In  the  evening  we  sat  down 
to  a  supper  prepared  by  Baptiste  and  his  partner,  Mr.  Fisher, 
which  completed  my  astonishment  at  the  resources  of  that  won 
derful  land.  There,  in  the  rough  depth  of  the  hills,  where  three 
weeks  before  there  was  scarcely  a  tent,  and  where  we  expected  to 
live  on  jerked  beef  and  bread,  we  saw  on  the  table  green  corn, 
green  peas  and  beans,  fresh  oysters,  roast  turkey,  fine  Goshen 
butter  and  excellent  coffee.  I  will  not  pretend  to  say  what  they 
cost,  but  I  began  to  think  that  the  fable  of  Aladdin  was  nothing 
very  remarkable,  after  all.  The  genie  will  come,  and  had  come 
to  many  whom  I  saw  in  California  ;  but  the  rubbing  of  the  lamp 
• — aye,  there's  the  rub.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world  so  hard  on 
the  hands. 

I  slept  soundly  that  night  on  the  dining-table,  and  went  down 
early  to  the  river,  where  I  found  the  party  of  ten  bailing  out  the 
water  which  had  leaked  into  the  river-bed  during  the  night. 
They  were  standing  in  the  sun,  and  had  two  hours'  hard  work  be 
fore  they  could  begin  to  wash.  Again  the  prospect  looked  unin 
viting,  but  when  I  went  there  again  towards  noon,  one  of  them 
was  scraping  up  the  sand  from  the  bed  with  his  knife,  and  throw 
ing  it  into  a  basin,  the  bottom  of  which  glittered  with  gold. 
Every  knifeful  brought  out  a  quantity  of  grains  and  scales,  some 
of  which  were  as  large  as  the  finger-nail.  At  last  a  two-ounce 
lump  fell  plump  into  the  pan,  and  the  diggers,  now  in  the  best 
possible  humor,  went  on  with  their  work  with  great  alacrity. 
Their  forenoon's  digging  amounted  to  nearly  six  pounds.  It  is 
only  by  such  operations  as  these,  through  associated  labor,  that 
great  profits  are  to  be  made  in  those  districts  which  have  been 
visited  by  the  first  eager  horde  of  gold  hunters.  The  deposits 
most  easily  reached  are  soon  exhausted  by  the  crowd,  and  the 


THE    SONORIANS.  87 

labor  required  to  carry  on  further  work  successfully  deters  single 
individuals  from  attempting  it.  Those  who,  retaining  their 
health ,  return  home  disappointed,  say  they  have  been  humbugged 
about  the  gold,  when  in  fact,  they  have  humbugged  themselves 
about  the  work.  If  any  one  expects  to  dig  treasures  out  of  the 
earth,  in  California,  without  severe  labor,  he  is  wofully  mistaken. 
Of  all  classes  of  men,  those  who  pave  streets  and  quarry  limestone 
are  best  adapted  for  gold  diggers. 

Wherever  there  is  gold,  there  are  gamblers.  Our  little  village 
boasted  of  at  least  a  dozen  monte  tables,  all  of  which  were  fre 
quented  at  night  by  the  Americans  and  Mexicans.  The  Sono- 
rians  left  a  large  portion  of  their  gold  at  the  gaming  tables, 
though  it  was  calculated  they  had  taken  $5,000,000  out  of  the 
country  during  the  summer.  The  excitement  against  them  pre 
vailed  also  on  the  Mokelumne,  and  they  were  once  driven  away; 
they  afterwards  quietly  returned,  and  in  most  cases  worked  in 
companies,  for  the  benefit  and  under  the  protection  of  some 
American.  They  labor  steadily  and  faithfully,  and  are  considered 
honest,  if  well  watched.  The  first  colony  of  gold-hunters  at 
tempted  to  drive  out  all  foreigners,  without  distinction,  as  well  as 
native  Californians.  Don  Andres  Pico,  who  was  located  on  the 
game  river,  had  some  difficulty  with  them  until  they  could  be 
made  to  understand  that  his  right  as  a  citizen  was  equal  to  theirs 

Dr.  Gillette,  to  whom  we  were  indebted  for  many  kind  atten 
tions,  related  to  me  the  manner  of  his  finding  the  rich  gulch 
which  attracted  so  many  to  the  Mokelumne  Diggings.  The  word 
gulch,  which  is  in  general  use  throughout  the  diggings,  may  not 
be  familiar  to  many  ears,  though  its  sound  somehow  expresses  its 
meaning,  without  further  definition.  It  denotes  a  mountain  ravine, 
differing  from  ravin  as  elsewhere  as  the  mountains  of  California 


88  ELDORADO. 

differ  from  all  others — more  steep,  abrupt  and  inaccessible.  Thft 
sound  of  gulch  is  like  that  of  a  sudden  plunge  into  a  deep  hole, 
which  is  just  the  character  of  the  thing  itself.  It  bears  the  same 
relation  to  a  ravine  that  a  "  canon"  does  to  a  pass  or  gorge. 
About  two  months  previous  to  our  arrival,  Dr.  Gillette  came 
down  from  the  Upper  Bar  with  a  companion,  to  "  prospect"  for 
gold  among  the  ravines  in  the  neighborhood.  There  were  no 
persons  there  at  the  time,  except  some  Indians  belonging  to  the 
tribe  of  Jose  Jesus.  One  day  at  noon,  while  resting  in  the  shade 
of  a  tree,  Dr.  G.  took  a  pick  and  began  carelessly  turning  up  the 
ground.  Almost  on  the  surface,  he  struck  and  threw  out  a  lump 
of  gold  of  about  two  pounds  weight.  Inspired  by  this  unexpected 
result,  they  both  went  to  work,  laboring  all  that  day  and  the  next, 
and  even  using  part  of  the  night  to  quarry  out  the  heavy  pieces 
of  rock.  At  the  end  of  the  second  day  they  went  to  the  village 
on  the  Upper  Bar  and  weighed  their  profits,  which  amounted  to 
fourteen  pounds  !  They  started  again  the  third  morning  under 
pretence  of  hunting,  but  were  suspected  and  followed  by  the  other 
diggers,  who  came  upon  them  just  as  they  commenced  work. 
The  news  rapidly  spread,  and  there  was  soon  a  large  number  of 
men  on  the  spot,  some  of  whom  obtained  several  pounds  per 
day,  at  the  start.  The  gulch  had  been  well  dug  up  for  the  large 
lumps,  but  there  was  still  great  wealth  in  the  earth  and  sand,  and 
several  operators  only  waited  for  the  wet  season  to  work  it  in  a 
systematic  manner. 

The  next  day  Col.  Lyons,  Dr.  Gillette  and  myself  set  out  on  a 
visit  to  the  scene  of  these  rich  discoveries.  Climbing  up  the 
rocky  bottom  of  the  gulch,  as  by  a  staircase,  for  four  miles,  we 
found  nearly  every  part  of  it  dug  up  and  turned  over  by  the 
picks  of  the  miners.  Deep  holes,  sunk  between  the  solid  strata 


THE    PROCESS    OF    DRY-WASHING.  89 

ar  into  the  precipitous  sides  of  the  mountains,  showed  where  veins 
of  the  metal  had  been  struck  and  followed  as  long  as  they  yielded 
lumps  large  enough  to  pay  for  the  labor.  The  loose  earth,  which 
they  had  excavated,  was  full  of  fine  gold,  and  only  needed  washing 
out.  A  number  of  Sonorians  were  engaged  in  dry  washing  this 
refuse  sand — a  work  which  requires  no  little  skill,  and  would  soon 
kill  any  other  men  than  these  lank  and  skinny  Arabs  of  the  West. 
Their  mode  of  work  is  as  follows  : — Gathering  the  loose  dry  sand 
in  bowls,  they  raise  it  to  their  heads  and  slowly  pour  it  upon  a 
blanket  spread  at  their  feet.  Repeating  this  several  times,  and 
throwing  out  the  worthless  pieces  of  rock,  they  reduce  the  dust  to 
about  half  its  bulk ;  then,  balancing  the  bowl  on  one  hand,  by 
a  quick,  dexterous  motion  of  the  other  they  cause  it  to  revolve, 
at  the  same  time  throwing  its  contents  into  the  air  and  catching 
them  as  they  fall.  In  this  manner  everything  is  finally  winnowed 
away  except  the  heavier  grains  of  sand  mixed  with  gold,  which  is 
carefully  separated  by  the  breath.  It  is  a  laborious  occupation, 
and  one  which,  fortunately,  the  American  diggers  have  not  at 
tempted.  This  breathing  the  fine  dust  from  day  to  day,  under  a 
more  than  torrid  sun,  would  soon  impair  the  strongest  lungs. 

We  found  many  persons  at  WOIK  in  the  higher  part  of  the  gulch, 
searching  for  veins  and  pockets  of  gold,  in  the  holes  which  had 
already  produced  their  first  harvest.  Some  of  these  gleaners, 
following  the  lodes  abandoned  by  others  as  exhausted,  into  the 
sides  of  the  mountain,  were  well  repaid- for  their  perseverance. 
Others,  again,  had  been  working  for  days  without  finding  anything. 
Those  who  understood  the  business  obtained  from  one  to  four 
ounces  daily.  Their  only  tools  were  the  crowbar,  pick  and  knife, 
and  many  of  them,  following  the  veins  under  strata  of  rock  which 
lay  deep  below  the  surface,  were  obliged  to  work  while  lying  flat 


90  ELDORADO. 

on  their  backs,  in  cramped  and  narrow  holes,  sometimes  kept  moist 
by  springs.  They  were  shielded,  however,  from  the  burning  heats, 
and  preserved  their  health  better  than  those  who  worked  on  the 
bars  of  the  river. 

There  are  thousands  of  similar  gulches  among  the  mountains, 
nearly  all  of  which  undoubtedly  contain  gold.  Those  who  are  fa 
miliar  with  geology,  or  by  carefully  noting  the  character  of  the 
soil  and  strata  where  gold  is  already  found,  have  learned  its  indi 
cations,  rarely  fail  in  the  selection  of  new  spots  for  digging.  It  is 
the  crowd  of  those  who,  deceived  in  their  extravagant  hopes,  dis 
heartened  by  the  severe  labor  necessary  to  be  undergone,  and 
bereft  of  that  active  and  observing  spirit  which  could  not  fail  to 
win  success  at  last,  that  cry  out  with  such  bitterness  against  the 
golden  stories  which  first  attracted  them  to  the  country.  I  met 
with  hundreds  of  such  persons,  many  of  whom  have  returned  home 
disgusted  forever  with  California.  They  compared  the  diggings 
to  a  lottery,  in  which  people  grew  rich  only  by  accident  or  luck. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  accident  in  Nature,  and  in  proportion 
as  men  understand  her,  the  more  sure  a  clue  they  have  to  her 
buried  treasures.  There  is  more  gold  in  California  than  ever  was 
said  or  imagined  :  ages  will  not  exhaust  the  supply.  From  what 
I  first  saw  on  the  Mokelumne,  I  was  convinced  that  the  fabled 
Cibao  of  Columbus,  splendid  as  it  seemed  to  his  eager  imagination, 
is  more  than  realized  there. 

I  went  up  in  the  ravines  one  morning,  for  about  two  miles, 
looking  for  game.  It  was  too  late  in  the  day  for  deer,  and  I  saw 
but  one  antelope,  which  fled  like  the  wind  over  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  I  started  a  fine  hare,  similar  in  appearance  to  the 
European,  but  of  larger  size.  A  man  riding  down  the  trail,  from 
the  Double  Spring,  told  us  he  had  counted  seven  deer  early  in  the 


STORIES    OF    THE    GOLD-DIGGERS.  91 

morning,  beside  numbers  of  antelopes  and  partridges.  The 
grizzly  bear  and  large  mountain  wolf  are  frequently  seen  in  the 
more  thickly  timbered  ravines.  The  principal  growth  of  the 
mountains  is  oak  and  the  California  pine,  which  rises  like  a  spire 
to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet.  The  pinons,  or  cones,  are 
much  larger  and  of  finer  flavor,  than  those  of  the  Italian  stone- 
pine.  As  far  as  I  could  see  from  the  ridges  which  I  climbed,  the 
mountains  were  as  well  timbered  as  the  soil  and  climate  will  allow. 
A  little  more  rain  would  support  as  fine  forests  as  the  world  can 
produce.  The  earth t  was  baked  to  a  cinder,  and  from  11  A.  M. 
to  4  P.  M.  the  mercury  ranged  between  98°  and  110°. 

There  was  no  end  to  the  stories  told  by  the  diggers,  of  their 
own  and  others'  experiences  in  gold-hunting.  I  could  readily 
have  made  up  a  small  volume  from  those  I  heard  during  the  four 
days  I  spent  on  the  Mokelumne.  In  the  dry  diggings  especially, 
where  the  metal  frequently  lies  deep,  many  instances  are  told  of 
men  who  have  dug  two  or  three  days  and  given  up  in  despair, 
while  others,  coming  after  them  and  working  in  the  same  holes, 
have  taken  out  thousands  of  dollars  in  a  short  time.  I  saw  a  man 
who  came  to  the  river  three  weeks  before  my  visit,  without  money, 
to  dig  in  the  dry  gulch.  Being  very  lazy,  he  chose  a  spot  under 
a  shady  tree,  and  dug  leisurely  for  two  days  without  making  a  cent. 
He  then  gave  up  the  place,  when  a  little  German  jumped  into  his 
tracks  and  after  a  day's  hard  work  weighed  out  $800.  The  un 
lucky  digger  then  borrowed  five  ounces  and  started  a  boarding- 
house.  The  town  increased  so  fast  that  the  night  I  arrived  he 
sold  out  his  share  (one-third)  of  the  concern  for  $1,200.  Men 
were  not  troubled  by  the  ordinary  ups  and  downs  of  business,  when 
it  was  so  easy  for  one  of  any  enterprise  to  recover  his  foothold.  If 
a  person  lost  his  all,  he  was  perfectly  indifferent ;  two  weeks  of 


P2  ELDORADO 

hard  work  gave  him  enough  to  start  on,  and  two  months,  with  the 
usual  luck,  quite  reinstated  him. 

The  largest  piece  found  in  the  rich  gulch  weighed  eleven 
pounds.  Mr.  James,  who  had  been  on  the  river  since  April, 
showed  me  a  lump  weighing  sixty-two  ounces — pure,  unadul 
terated  gold.  We  had  a  visit  one  day  from  Don  Andres  Pico, 
commander  of  the  California  forces  during  the  war.  He  had  a 
company  of  men  digging  at  the  Middle  Bar,  about  a  mile  above. 
He  is  an  urbane,  intelligent  man,  of  medium  stature,  and  of  a 
natural  gentility  of  character  which  made  him  quite  popular  among 
the  emigrants. 

From  all  I  saw  and  heard,  while  at  the  Mokelumne  Diggings,  I 
judged  there  was  as  much  order  and  security  as  could  be  attained 
without  a  civil  organization.  The  inhabitants  had  elected  one  of 
their  own  number  Alcalde,  before  whom  all  culprits  were  tried  by 
a  jury  selected  for  the  purpose.  Several  thefts  had  occurred,  and 
the  offending  parties  been  severely  punished  after  a  fair  trial 
Some  had  been  whipped  and  cropped,  or  maimed  in  some  other 
way,  and  one  or  two  of  them  hung.  Two  or  three  who  had 
stolen  largely  had  been  shot  down  by  the  injured  party,  the  gen 
eral  feeling  among  the  miners  justifying  such  a  course  when  no 
other  seemed  available.  We  met  near  Livermore's  Ranche,  on 
the  way  to  Stockton,  a  man  whose  head  had  been  shaved  and  his 
Pears  cut  off,  after  receiving  one  hundred  lashes,  for  stealing  ninety- 
eight  pounds  of  gold.  It  may  conflict  with  popular  ideas  of  mo 
rality,  but,  nevertheless,  this  extreme  course  appeared  to  have 
produced  good  results.  In  fact,  in  a  country  without  not  only 
bolts  and  bars,  but  any  effective  system  of  law  and  government, 
this  Spartan  severity  of  discipline  seemed  the  only  security  against 
the  most  frightful  disorder.  The  result  was  that,  except  some  petty 


COST    OF    OUR    VISIT.  93 

acts  of  larceny,  thefts  were  rare.  Horses  and  mules  were  some 
times  taken,  but  the  risk  was  so  great  that  such  plunder  could  not 
be  carried  on  to  any  extent.  The  camp  or  tent  was  held  invio 
late,  and  like  the  patriarchal  times  of  old,  its  cover  protected  all 
it  enclosed.  Among  all  well-disposed  persons  there  was  a  tacit 
disposition  to  make  the  canvas  or  pavilion  of  rough  oak-boughs  as 
eacred  as  once  were  the  portals  ©f  a  church. 

Our  stay  was  delayed  a  day  by  the  illness  of  Lieut.  Beale,  who 
had  been  poisoned  a  few  days  previous  by  contact  with  the  rhus 
toxicodendron,  which  is  very  common  in  California.  His  impa 
tience  to  reach  San  Francisco  was  so  great  that  on  Saturday  after 
noon  we  got  ready  to  return  to  Stockton.  Our  bill  at  the  hotel 
was  $  1 1  a  day  for  man  and  mule — $4  for  the  man  and  $7  for  the 
mule.  This  did  not  include  lodgings,  which  each  traveler  was  ex 
pected  to  furnish  for  himself.  Some  slight  medical  attendance, 
furnished  to  Lieut.  Beale,  was  valued  at  $48.  The  high  price 
of  mule-keep  was  owing  to  the  fact  of  barley  being  $1  per  quart 
and  grass  $1  per  handful.  Dr.  Gillette  took  a  lame  horse  which 
had  just  come  down  from  a  month's  travel  among  the  snowy 
ridges,  where  his  rider  had  been  shot  with  an  Indian  arrow,  and 
set  out  to  accompany  us  as  far  as  Stockton.  One  of  our  mules, 
which  was  borrowed  for  the  occasion  at  Raney's  Ranche,  had 
been  reclaimed  by  its  owner,  and  I  was  thus  reduced  to  the  ne 
cessity  of  footing  it.  In  this  order,  we  left  the  town  just  before 
sunset,  and  took  a  mule-path  leading  up  the  steep  ascent. 


CHAPTER  X, 

A     GALLOP     TO     STOCKTON,     WITH     SOME     WORDS     ON      LAW     AND 
SOCIETY. 

INSTEAD  of  retracing  our  steps  through  the  fiery  depth  of  the 
canon,  we  turned  off  eastward  through  a  gap  in  the  hills  and  took 
a  road  leading  to  the  Double  Spring.  The  doctor  insisted  on  my 
mounting  behind  him  on  the  limping  horse,  and  we  had  an  odd 
ride  of  it,  among  the  dusky  glens  and  hollows.  At  the  Double 
Spring,  where  a  large  tent  was  pitched,  three  of  us  were  furnished 
with  supper,  at  a  cost  of  $11 — not  an  exorbitant  price,  if  our  ap 
petites  were  considered.  It  was  decided  to  push  on  the  same 
night  to  another  ranche,  seven  miles  distant,  and  I  started  in  ad 
vance,  on  foot.  The  road  passed  between  low  hills,  covered  with 
patches  of  chapparal,  the  usual  haunt  of  grizzly  bears.  I  looked 
sharply  at  every  bush,  in  the  dim  moonlight ;  my  apprehensions 
were  a  little  raised  by  the  thought  of  a  miner  whom  I  had  seen  one 
evening  come  down  to  the  Mokelumne,  pale  as  a  sheet,  after  hav 
ing  been  chased  some  distance  by  a  huge  she-bear,  and  by  the 
story  told  me  at  the  Double  Spring,  of  the  bones  of  two  men, 
picked  clean,  having  been  found  on  the  road  I  was  traveling.  I 
was  not  sorry,  therefore,  to  hear  the  halting  tramp  of  the  doctor's 
horse  behind  me  ;  the  others  came  up  after  awhile,  and  we 


/.PPROPRIATING    A    HORSE.  9R 

reached  the  tent  The  landlord  lay  asleep  in  one  corner  ;  we 
tied  our  animals  to  a  tree,  made  one  bed  in  common  against  the 
side  of  the  tent,  and  were  soon  locked  in  sound  repose. 

Lieut.  Beale,  who  was  still  unwell  and  anxious  to  hurry  on, 
woke  us  at  the  peep  of  day,  and  after  giving  a  spare  feed  to  our 
mules,  we  took  the  road  again.  As  the  doctor  and  I,  mounted  on 
the  lame  horse,  were  shuffling  along  in  advance,  we  espied  a  ven 
erable  old  animal  before  us,  walking  in  the  same  direction.  The 
doctor  slipped  off  the  bridle,  ran  forward  and  caught  him  without 
any  difficulty.  There  was  no  sign  of  any  camp  to  be  seen,  and 
we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  horse  was  an  estray,  and  we 
might  therefore  lawfully  make  use  of  him.  He  was  the  most  gro 
tesque  specimen  of  horseflesh  I  ever  saw — lame  like  our  own — 
and  with  his  forehead  broken  in  above  the  eyes,  which  did  not 
prevent  his  having  a  nose  of  most  extraordinary  length  and  pro 
minence.  The  doctor  bridled  him  and  mounted,  leaving  me  his 
own  horse  and  saddle,  so  that  we  were  about  equally  provided. 
By  dint  of  shouting  and  kicking  we  kept  the  beasts  in  a  sort  of 
shambling  gallop  till  we  reached  Raney's  Ranche,  where  the  doctor 
took  the  precaution  of  removing  the  bridle  and  letting  the  horse 
stand  loose  ;  the  custom  of  the  miners  being,  to  shoot  a  man  who 
puts  his  gear  on  your  horse  and  rides  him  without  leave. 

As  it  happened,  the  precaution  was  not  ill-timed  ;  for,  while 
we  lay  inside  the  tent  on  a  couple  of  benches,  we  heard  an  ex 
clamation  from  some  one  outside.  "  There  you  are  !"  said  the 
voice  ;  "  what  do  you  mean,  you  old  rascal  ?  how  came  you  here  ? 
you  know  you  never  left  me  before,  you  know  you  did  n't !" — 
Then,  turning  to  the  tent-keeper,  who  was  standing  by  the  cook 
ing-fire,  he  enquired  :  "  how  did  that  horse  get  here  ?"  "  Why," 
answered  the  former,  with  a  slight  variation  of  the  truth,  "  he  was 


96  ELDORADO. 

driven  in  this  morning  by  some  men  who  found  him  in  the  road 
about  three  miles  from  here.  The  men  have  gone  on  to  Stockton, 
but  left  him,  thinking  he  might  have  an  owner  somewhere,  though 
he  don't  look  like  it."  "  Three  miles  !"  ejaculated  the  voice  : 
"  it  was  six  miles  from,  here,  where  I  camped,  and  the  horse  never 
left  me  before  ;  you  know  you  did  n't,  you  rascal !"  Then,  coming 
into  the  tent,  he  repeated  the  whole  story  to  us,  who  marvelled 
exceedingly  that  the  horse  should  have  left.  "  He  does  n't  look 
to  be  much,"  added  the  man,  "  but  I've  had  him  two  years  among 
the  mountains,  and  never  saw  sich  another  wonderful  knowin' 
animal." 

Sergeant  Falls,  who  owned  a  ranche  in  the  neighborhood,  came 
along  shortly  after  with  a  caballada  which  he  was  driving  into 
Stockton.  The  day  was  hot,  but  a  fine  breeze  blew  over  the  hazy 
plain  and  rustled  the  groves  of  oak  as  we  went  past  them  on  a 
sweeping  gallop,  which  was  scarcely  broken  during  the  whole  ride 
of  twenty-five  miles.  No  exercise  in  the  world  is  so  exciting  and 
inspiring  as  the  traveling  gait  or  "  lope"  of  the  Californian  horse. 
I  can  compare  it  to  nothing  but  the  rocking  motion  of  a  boat  over 
a  light  sea.  There  is  no  jar  or  jolt  in  the  saddle  ;  the  rider  sits 
lightly  and  securely,  while  the  horse,  obeying  the  slightest  touch 
of  the  rein,  carries  him  forward  for  hours  without  slackening  his 
bounding  speed.  Up  and  down  the  steep  sides  of  an  arroyo — over 
the  shoulder  of  a  mountain,  or  through  the  flinty  bed  of  some  dry 
lake  or  river — it  is  all  the  same.  One's  blood  leaps  merrily  along 
his  veins,  and  the  whole  frame  feels  an  elastic  warmth  which  ex 
quisitely  fits  it  to  receive  all  sensuous  impressions.  Ah  !  if  horse 
flesh  were  effortless  as  the  wind,  indestructible  as  adamant,  what 
motion  of  sea  or  air — what  unwearied  agility  of  fin  or  steady  sweep 
of  wing — could  compare  with  it  ?  In  the  power  of  thus  speeding 


THE    CALIFORNIAN    HORSE.  *>7 

onward  at  will,  as  far  as  the  wish  might  extend,  one  would  forget 
his  desire  to  soar. 

I  saw  at  the  Pueblo  San  Jose  a  splendid  pied  horse  belonging 
to  Col.  Fremont — the  gift  of  Don  Pio  Pico — on  which  he  had 
frequently  ridden  to  San  Francisco,  a  distance  of  fifty-five  miles, 
within  seven  hours.  When  pushed  to  their  utmost  capacity,  these 
horses  frequently  perform  astonishing  feats.  The  saddles  in  com 
mon  use  differ  little  from  the  Mexican  ;  the  stirrups  are  set  back, 
obliging  the  rider  to  stand  rather  than  sit,  and  the  seat  corresponds 
more  nearly  to  the  shape  of  the  body  than  the  English  saddle. 
The  horses  are  broken  by  a  halter  of  strong  rope,  which  accustoms 
them  to  be  governed  by  a  mere  touch  of  the  rein.  On  first  at 
tempting  to  check  the  gallop  of  one  which  I  rode,  I  thoughtlessly 
drew  the  rein  as  strongly  as  for  a  hard-mouthed  American  horse. 
The  consequence  was,  he  came  with  one  bound  to  a  dead  stop  and 
I  flew  bolt  upwards  out  of  the  saddle  ;  but  for  its  high  wooden 
horn,  I  should  have  gone  over  his  head. 

At  Raney's  Ranche,  our  notice  was  attracted  to  the  sad  spec 
tacle  of  a  man,  lying  on  the  river  bank,  wasted  by  disease,  and 
evidently  near  his  end.  He  was  a  member  of  a  company  from 
Massachusetts,  which  had  passed  that  way  three  weeks  before,  not 
only  refusing  to  take  him  further,  but  absolutely  carrying  with 
them  his  share  of  the  stores  they  had  brought  from  home.  This, 
at  least,  was  the  story  told  me  on  the  spot,  but  I  hope  it  was  un 
true.  The  man  had  lain  there  from  day  to  day,  without  medical 
aid,  and  dependant  on  such  attention  as  the  inmates  of  the  tent 
were  able  to  afford  him.  The  Dr.  left  some  medicines  with  him, 
but  it  was  evident  to  all  of  us  that  a  few  days  more  would  termi 
nate  his  sufferings. 

All  the  roads  from  Stockton  to  the  mines  were  filled  with  atajos 

VOL.  i.         5 


98  ELDORADO. 

of  mules,  laden  with  freight.     They  were  mostly  owned  by  Ameri 
cans,  many  of  them  by  former  trappers  and  mountaineers,  but  the 
packers  and  drivers  were  Mexicans,  and  the  aparejos  and  alforjas 
of  the  mules  were  of  the  same  fashion  as  those  which,  for  three 
hundred  years  past,  have  been  seen  on  the  hills  of  Grenada  and 
the  Andalusian  plains.     With  good  mule-trains  and  experienced 
packers,  the  business  yielded  as  much  as  the  richest  diggings 
The  placers  and  gulches  of  Mokelumne  as  well  as  Murphy's  Dig 
gings  and  those  on  Carson's  Creek,  are  within  fifty-five  miles  of 
Stockton  ;  the  richest  diggings  on  the  Stanislaus  about   sixty, 
and  on  the  Tuolumne  seventy.     The  price  paid  for  carrying  to 
all  the  nearer  diggings  averaged  30  cents  per  Ib.  during  the  sum 
mer.     A  mule-load  varies  from  one  to  two  hundred  Ibs.,  but  the 
experienced  carrier  could  generally  reckon  beforehand  the  expenses 
and  profits  of  his  trip.     The  intense  heat  of  the  season  and  the 
dust  of  the  plains  tended  also  to  wear  out  a  team,  and  the  carriers 
were  often  obliged  to  rest  and  recruit  themselves.     One  of  them, 
who  did  a  good  business  between  Stockton  and  the  Lower  Bar  of 
the  Mokelumne,  told  me  that  his  profits  were  about  $3,000  monthly. 
I  found  Stockton  more  bustling  and  prosperous  than  ever.    The 
limits  of  its  canvas  streets  had  greatly  enlarged  during  my  week 
of  absence,  and  the  crowd  on  the  levee  would  not  disgrace  a  much 
larger  place  at  home.     Launches  were   arriving  and  departing 
daily  for  and  from  San  Francisco,  and  the  number  of  mule-trains, 
wagons,  etc.,  on  their  way  to  the  various  mines  with  freight  and 
supplies  kept  up  a  life  of  activity  truly  amazing.     Stockton  was 
first  laid  out  by  Mr.  Weaver,  who  emigrated  to  the  country  seven 
years  before,  and  obtained  a  grant  of  eleven  square  leagues  from 
the  Government,  on  condition  that  he  would  obtain  settlers  for  the 
whole  of  itwithin  a  specified  time.   In  planning  the  town  of  Stockton 


A    FLOGGING    SCENE    IN    STOCKTON.  99 

he  displayed  a  great  deal  of  shrewd  business  tact,  the  sale  of  lots 
having  brought  him  upwards  of  $500,000.  A  great  disadvantage 
of  the  location  is  the  sloughs  by  which  it  is  surrounded ;  which,  in 
the  wet  season,  render  the  roads  next  to  impassable.  There 
seems,  however,  to  be  no  other  central  point  so  well  adapted  for 
supplying  the  rich  district  between  the  Mokelumne  and  Tuolumne, 
and  Stockton  will  evidently  continue  to  grow  with  a  sure  and 
gradual  growth. 

I  witnessed,  while  in  the  town,  a  summary  exhibition  of  justice. 
The  night  before  my  arrival,  three  negroes,  while  on  a  drunken 
revel,  entered  the  tent  of  a  Chilian,  and  attempted  to  violate  a 
female  who  was  within.  Defeated  in  their  base  designs  by  her 
husband,  who  was  fortunately  within  call,  they  fired  their  pistols  at 
the  tent  and  left.  Complaint  was  made  before  the  Alcalde,  two 
of  the  negroes  seized  and  identified,  witnesses  examined,  a  jury 
summoned,  and  verdict  given,  without  delay.  The  principal  of 
fender  was  sentenced  to  receive  fifty  lashes  and  the  other  twenty 
— both  to  leave  the  place  within  forty-eight  hours  under  pain  of 
death.  •  The  sentence  was  immediately  carried  into  execution  , 
the  negroes  were  stripped,  tied  to  a  tree  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  principal  street,  and  in  presence  of  the  Alcalde  and  Sheriff 
received  their  punishment.  There  was  little  of  that  order  and 
respect  shown  which  should  accompany  even  the  administration  of 
impromptu  law  ;  the  bystanders  jeered,  laughed,  and  accompanied 
every  blow  with  coarse  and  unfeeling  remarks.  Some  of  the  more 
intelligent  professed  themselves  opposed  to  the  mode  of  punish 
ment,  but  in  the  absence  of  prisons  or  effective  guards  could  sug 
gest  no  alternative,  except  the  sterner  one  of  capital  punishment. 

The  history  of  law  and  society  in  California,  from  the  period  of 
the  golden  discoveries,  would  furnish  many  instructive  lessons  to 


100  ELDORADO. 

the  philosopher  and  the  statesman.  The  first  consequence  of  the 
unprecedented  rush  of  emigration  from  all  parts  of  the  world  into 
a  country  almost  unknown,  and  but  half  reclaimed  from  its  origi 
nal  barbarism  was  to  render  all  law  virtually  null,  and  bring  the 
established  authorities  to  depend  entirely  on  the  humor  of  tho 
population  for  the  observance  of  their  orders.  The  countries 
which  were  nearest  the  golden  coast — Mexico,  Peru,  Chili,  China 
and  the  Sandwich  Islands — sent  forth  their  thousands  of  ignorant 
adventurers,  who  speedily  outnumbered  the  American  population. 
Another  fact,  which  none  the  less  threatened  serious  consequen 
ces,  was  the  readiness  with  which  the  worthless  and  depraved  class 
of  our  own  country  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  From  the  begin 
ning,  a  state  of  things  little  short  of  anarchy  might  have  been 
reasonably  awaited. 

Instead  of  this,  a  disposition  to  maintain  order  and  secure  the 
rights  of  all,  was  shown  throughout  the  mining  districts.  In  the  ab 
sence  of  all  law  or  available  protection,  the  people  met  and  adopted 
rules  for  their  mutual  security — rules  adapted  to  their  situation, 
where  they  had  neither  guards  nor  prisons,  and  where  the  slightest 
license  given  to  crime  or  trespass  of  any  kind  must  inevitably  have 
led  to  terrible  disorders.  Small  thefts  were  punished  by  banish 
ment  from  the  placers,  while  for  those  of  large  amount  or  for 
more  serious  crimes,  there  was  the  single  alternative  of  hanging. 
These  regulations,  with  slight  change,  had  been  continued  up  to 
the  time  of  my  visit  to  the  country.  In  proportion  as  the  emigra 
tion  from  our  own  States  increased,  and  the  digging  community 
assumed  a  more  orderly  and  intelligent  aspect,  their  severity  had 
been  relaxed,  though  punishment  was  still  strictly  administered 
for  all  offences.  There  had  been,  as  nearly  as  I  could  learn,  not 
more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  executions  in  all,  about  half  of  which 


LAW    AND    ORDER.  101 

were  inflicted  for  the  crime  of  murder.  This  awful  responsibility 
had  not  been  assumed  lightly,  but  after  a  fair  trial  and  a  full  and 
clear  conviction,  to  which  was  added,  I  believe  in  every  instance, 
the  confession  of  the  criminal. 

In  all  the  large  digging  districts,  which  had  been  worked  for 
gome  time,  there  were  established  regulations,  which  were  faith 
fully  observed.  Alcaldes  were  elected,  who  decided  on  all  dis 
putes  of  right  or  complaints  of  trespass,  and  who  had  power  to 
summon  juries  for  criminal  trials.  When  a  new  placer  or  gulch 
was  discovered,  the  first  thing  done  was  to  elect  officers  and  ex 
tend  the  area  of  order.  The  result  was,  that  in  a  district  five 
hundred  miles  long,  and  inhabited  by  100,000  people,  who  had 
neither  government,  regular  laws,  rules,  military  or  civil  protec 
tion,  nor  even  locks  or  bolts,  and  a  great  part  of  whom  possessed 
wealth  enough  to  tempt  the  vicious  and  depraved,  there  was  as 
much  security  to  life  and  property  as  in  any  part  of  the  Union, 
and  as  small  a  proportion  of  crime.  The  capacity  of  a  people  for 
self-government  was  never  so  triumphantly  illustrated.  Never, 
perhaps,  was  there  a  community  formed  of  more  unpropitious  ele 
ments  ;  yet  from  all  this  seeming  chaos  grew  a  harmony  beyond 
what  the  most  sanguine  apostle  of  Progress  could  have  expected. 

The  rights  of  the  diggers  were  no  less  definitely  marked  and 
strictly  observed.  Among  the  hundreds  I  saw  on  the  Moke- 
lumne  and  among  the  gulches,  I  did  not  see  a  single  dispute  nor 
hear  a  word  of  complaint.  A  company  of  men  might  mark  out  a 
race  of  any  length  and  turn  the  current  of  the  river  to  get  at  the 
bed,  possessing  the  exclusive  right  to  that  part  of  it,  so  long  as 
their  undertaking  lasted.  A  man  might  dig  a  hole  in  the  dry 
ravines,  and  so  long  as  he  left  a  shovel,  pick  or  crowbar  to  show 
that  he  still  intended  working  it,  he  was  safe  from  trespass  Hi? 


102  ELDORADO. 

tools  might  remain  there  for  months  without  being  disturbed.  I 
have  seen  many  such  places,  miles  away  from  any  camp  or  tent, 
which  the  digger  had  left  in  perfect  confidence  that  he  should  find 
all  right  on  his  return.  There  were  of  course  exceptions  to  these 
rules — the  diggings  would  be  a  Utopia  if  it  were  not  so — but  they 
were  not  frequent.  The  Alcaldes  sometimes  made  awkward  de 
cisions,  from  inexperience,  but  they  were  none  the  less  implicitly 
obeyed.  I  heard  of  one  instance  in  which  a  case  of  trespass  was 
settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  both  parties  and  the  Sheriff  ordered 
to  pay  the  costs  of  Court — about  $40.  The  astonished  func 
tionary  remonstrated,  but  the  power  of  the  Alcalde  was  supreme, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  suffer. 

The  treatment  of  the  Sonorians  by  the  American  diggers  was 
one  of  the  exciting  subjects  of  the  summer.  These  people  came 
into  the  country  in  armed  bands,  to  the  number  of  ten  thousand 
in  all,  and  took  possession  of  the  best  points  on  the  Tuolumne, 
Stanislaus  and  Mokelumne  Rivers.  At  the  Sonorian  camp  on  the 
Stanislaus  there  were,  during  the  summer,  several  thousands  of 
them,  and  the  amount  of  ground  they  dug  up  and  turned  over  is 
almost  incredible.  For  a  long  time  they  were  suffered  to  work 
peaceably,  but  the  opposition  finally  became  so  strong  that  they 
were  ordered  to  leave.  They  made  no  resistance,  but  quietly 
backed  out  and  took  refuge  in  other  diggings.  In  one  or  two 
places,  I  was  told,  the  Americans,  finding  there  was  no  chance 
of  having  a  fight,  coolly  invited  them  back  again  !  At  the  time 
of  my  visit,  however,  they  were  leaving  the  country  in  large  num 
bers,  and  there  were  probably  not  more  than  five  thousand  in  all 
scattered  along  the  various  rivers.  Several  parties  of  them,  in 
revenge  for  the  treatment  they  experienced,  committed  outrages 
on  their  way  home,  stripping  small  parties  of  the  emigrants  by 


MORAL    EFFECT    OF    GOLD.  103 

the  Grila  route  of  all  they  possessed.     It  is  not  likely  that  the 
country  will  be  troubled  with  them  in  future. 

Abundance  of  gold  does  not  always  beget,  as  moralists  tell  us,  a 
grasping  and  avaricious  spirit.  The  principles  of  hospitality  were 
as  faithfully  observed  in  the  rude  tents  of  the  diggers  as  they 
could  be  by  the  thrifty  farmers  of  the  North  and  West.  The  cos 
mopolitan  cast  of  society  in  California,  resulting  from  the  com 
mingling  of  so  many  races  and  the  primitive  mode  of  life,  gave  a 
character  of  good-fellowship  to  all  its  members  ;  and  in  no  part 
of  the  world  have  I  ever  seen  help  more  freely  given  to  the  needy, 
or  more  ready  cooperation  in  any  humane  proposition.  Per 
sonally,  I  can  safely  say  that  I  never  met  with  such  unvarying 
kindness  from  comparative  strangers. 


CHAPTER  XI, 

A  NIGHT-ADVENTURE  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ON  reaching  Stockton,  Lieut.  Beale  and  Col.  Lyons  decided  to 
return  to  San  Francisco  in  a  launch,  which  was  to  leave  the  same 
evening.  This  was  thought  best,  as  mule-travel,  in  the  condition 
of  the  former,  would  have  greatly  aggravated  his  illness.  The 
mules  were  left  in  my  charge,  and  as  the  management  of  five  was 
an  impossibility  for  one  man,  it  was  arranged  that  I  should  wait 
three  days,  when  Mr.  R.  A.  Parker  and  Mr.  Atherton,  of  San 
Francisco,  were  to  leave.  These  gentlemen  offered  to  make  a 
single  mulada  of  all  our  animals,  which  would  relieve  me  from  my 
embarrassment.  I  slept  that  night  in  Mr.  Lane's  store,  and  the 
next  morning  rode  out  to  Graham's  Camp,  where  the  Major  re 
ceived  me  with  the  same  genial  hospitality.  For  three  days 
longer  I  shared  the  wildwood  fare  of  his  camp-table  and  slept 
under  the  canopy  of  his  oaks.  Long  may  those  matchless  trees 
be  spared  to  the  soil — a  shore  of  cool  and  refreshing  verdure  to 
all  who  traverse  the  hot  plains  of  San  Joaquin ! 

Messrs.  Parker  and  Atherton,  with  three  other  gentlemen  and 
two  servants,  made  their  appearance  about  sunset.  My  mules 
had  already  been  caught  and  lariated,  and  joining  our  loose  ani 
mals,  we  had  a  mulada  of  eight,  with  eight  riders  to  keep  them  in 


AN    UNCEREMONIOUS    SUPPER.  105 

order.  The  plain  was  dark  when  we  started,  and  the  trail 
stretched  like  a  dusky  streak  far  in  advance.  The  mules  gave  us 
infinite  trouble  at  first,  darting  off  on  all  sides ;  but,  by  dint  of 
hard  chasing,  we  got  them  into  regular  file,  keeping  them  in  a 
furious  trot  before  us.  The  volumes  of  dust  that  rose  from  their 
feet,  completely  enveloped  us  ;  it  was  only  by  counting  the  tails 
that  occasionally  whisked  through  the  cloud,  that  we  could  tell 
whether  they  were  in  order.  One  of  my  spurs  gave  way  in  the 
race,  but  there  was  no  stopping  to  pick  it  up,  nor  did  we  halt 
until,  at  the  end  of  twelve  miles,  the  white  tent  of  the  ferry  came 
in  sight. 

We  crossed  and  rode  onward  to  my  old  camping-place  on  the 
slough.  A  canvas  tavern  had  been  erected  on  a  little  knoll,  since 
niy  visit,  and  after  picketing  our  animals  in  the  meadow,  we  pro 
ceeded  to  rouse  the  landlord.  The  only  person  we  could  find 
was  an  old  man,  lying  under  a  tree  near  at  hand  ;  he  refused  to 
stir,  saying  there  was  nothing  to  eat  in  the  tent,  and  he  would  not 
get  up  and  cook  at  that  time  of  night.  My  fellow-travelers,  ac 
customed  to  the  free-and-easy  habits  of  California,  entered  the 
tent  without  ceremony  and  began  a  general  search  for  comestibles. 
The  only  things  that  turned  up  were  a  half-dozen  bottles  of  ale 
in  a  dusty  box  and  a  globular  jar  of  East-India  preserves,  on 
which  odd  materials  we  supped  with  a  hearty  relish.  The  appe 
tite  engendered  by  open-air  life  in  California  would  have  made 
palatable  a  much  more  incongruous  meal.  We  then  lay  down  OD 
the  sloping  sides  of  the  knoll,  rolled  in  a  treble  thickness  of 
blankets,  for  the  nights  were  beginning  to  grow  cool.  I  was 
awakened  once  or  twice  by  a  mysterious  twitching  of  my  bed 
clothes  and  a  scratching  noise,  the  cause  of  which  was  explained 
when  I  arose  in  the  morning.  I  had  been  sleeping  oyer  half  a 
5* 


106  ELDORADO. 

dozen  squirrel-holes,  to  the  great  discomfort  of  the  imprisoned 
tenants. 

The  old  denizen  of  the  place,  in  better  humor  after  we  had 
paid  for  our  unceremonious  supper,  set  about  baking  tortillas  and 
stewing  beef,  to  which  we  added  two  cans  of  preserved  turtle 
soup,  which  we  found  in  the  tent.  Our  mules  had  scattered  far 
and  wide  during  the  night,  and  several  hours  elapsed  before  they 
could  be  herded  and  got  into  traveling  order.  The  face  of  the 
broad  plain  we  had  to  cross  glimmered  in  the  heat,  and  the  Coast 
Range  beyond  it  was  like  the  phantom  of  a  mountain-chain.  We 
journeyed  on,  hour  after  hour,  in  the  sweltering  blaze,  crossed  the 
divide  and  reached  Livermore's  Ranche  late  in  the  afternoon. 
My  saddle-mule  was  a  fine  gray  animal  belonging  to  Andrew 
Sublette,  which  Lieut.  Beale  had  taken  on  our  way  to  Stockton, 
leaving  his  own  alazan  at  the  ranche.  Mr.  Livermore  was  ab- 
pent,  but  one  of  his  vaqueros  was  prevailed  upon,  by  a  bribe  of 
five  dollars,  to  take  the  mule  out  to  the  corral,  six  miles  distant, 
and  bring  me  the  horse  in  its  stead.  I  sat  down  in  the  door  of 
the  ranche  to  await  his  arrival,  leaving  the  company  to  go  forward 
with  all  our  animals  to  a  camping-ground,  twelve  miles  further. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  the  vaquero  rode  up  with  the  alazan^ 
and  I  lost  no  time  in  saddling  him  and  leaving  the  ranche.  The 
trail,  no  longer  confined  among  the  hills,  struck  out  on  a  circular 
plain,  ten  miles  in  diameter,  which  I  was  obliged  to  cross.  The 
moon  was  not  risen ;  the  soil  showed  but  one  dusky,  unvaried 
hue  ;  and  my  only  chance  of  keeping  the  trail  was  in  the  sound 
of  my  horse's  feet.  A  streak  of  gravelly  sand  soon  put  jne  at 
fault,  and  after  doubling  backwards  and  forwards  a  few  times,  I 
found  myself  adrift  without  compass  or  helm.  In  the  uncertain 
gloom,  my  horse  blundered  into  stony  hollows,  or,  lost  in  the  mazes 


THE    TRAIL    LOST.  107 

of  the  oaks,  startled  the  buzzards  and  mountain  vultures  from 
their  roost.  The  boughs  rustled,  and  the  air  was  stirred  by  the 
muffled  beat  of  their  wings  :  I  could  see  them,  like  unearthly, 
boding  shapes,  as  they  swooped  between  me  and  the  stars.  At 
last,  making  a  hazard  at  the  direction  in  which  the  trail  ran,  I  set 
my  course  by  the  stars  and  pushed  steadily  forward  in  a  straight 
line. 

Two  hours  of  this  dreary  travel  passed  away  :  the  moon  rose, 
lighting  up  the  loneliness  of  the  wide  plain  and  the  dim,  silvery 
sweep  of  mountains  around  it.  I  found  myself  on  the  verge  of  a 
steep  bank,  which  I  took  to  be  an  arroyo  we  had  crossed  on  the 
outward  journey.  Getting  down  with  some  difficulty,  I  rode  for 
more  than  a  mile  over  the  flinty  bed  of  a  lake,  long  since  dried  up 
by  the  summer  heats.  At  its  opposite  side  I  plunged  into  a 
ghostly  wood,  echoing  with  the  dismal  howl  of  the  wolves,  and 
finally  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  deep-sunken  glen, 
at  whose  entrance  I  stood,  had  no  familiar  feature  ;  the  tall  clumps 
of  chapparal  in  its  bottom,  seemed  fit  haunts  for  grizzly  bear  ;  and 
after  following  it  for  a  short  distance,  I  turned  about  and  urged 
my  horse  directly  up  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountain. 

It  was  now  midnight,  as  near  as  I  could  judge  by  the  moon,  and 
I  determined  to  go  no  further.  I  had  neither  fire-arms,  matches 
nor  blankets — all  my  equipments  having  gone  on  with  the  pack- 
mule — and  it  was  necessary  to  choose  a  place  where  I  could  be 
secure  from  the  bears,  the  only  animal  to  be  feared.  The  very 
summit  of  the  mountain  seemed  to  be  the  safest  spot ;  there  was 
a  single  tree  upon  it,  but  the  sides,  for  some  distance  below,  were 
bare,  and  if  a  "  grizzly"  should  come  up  one  side,  I  could  dash 
down  the  other.  Clambering  to  the  top,  I  tied  my  horse  to  the 
tree,  took  the  saddle  for  a  pillow,  and  coiling  into  the  smallest 


108  ELDORADO. 

possible  compass,  tried  to  cover  myself  with  a  square  yard  of  sad* 
die-blanket.  It  was  too  cold  to  sleep,  and  I  lay  there  for  hours, 
with  aching  bones  and  chattering  teeth,  looking  down  on  the  vast, 
mysterious  depths  of  the  landscape  below  me.  I  shall  never  for 
get  the  shadowy  level  of  the  plain,  whose  belts  and  spots  of  timber 
were  like  clouds  in  the  wan  light — the  black  mountain-gulfs  on 
either  hand,  which  the  incessant  yell  of  a  thousand  wolves  made 
seem  like  caverns  of  the  damned — the  far,  faint  shapes  of  the  dis 
tant  ranges,  which  the  moonshine  covered,  as  with  silver  gossamer, 
and  the  spangled  arch  overhead,  doubly  lustrous  in  the  thin  air. 
Once  or  twice  I  fell  into  a  doze,  to  dream  of  slipping  off  precipices 
and  into  icy  chasms,  and  was  roused  by  the  snort  of  my  horse,  as 
he  stood  with  raised  ears,  stretching  the  lariat  to  its  full  length. 

When  the  morning  star,  which  was  never  so  welcome,  brought 
the  daylight  in  its  wake,  I  saddled  and  rode  down  to  the  plain. 
Taking  a  course  due  north,  I  started  off  on  a  gallop  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  recovered  the  trail.  I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
the  beautiful  meadow  where  the  party  was  to  have  camped,  but 
there  was  no  trace  of  them  to  be  seen  ;  the  mules,  as  it  happened, 
were  picketed  behind  some  timber,  and  the  men,  not  yet  arisen, 
were  buried  out  of  sight  in  the  rank  grass.  I  rode  up  to  some 
milpas,  (brush-huts,)  inhabited  by  Indians,  and  for  two  reals  ob 
tained  a  boiled  ear  of  corn  and  a  melon,  which  somewhat  relieved 
my  chill,  hungry  condition.  Riding  ahead  slowly,  that  my  horse 
might  now  and  then  crop  a  mouthful  of  oats,  I  was  finally  over 
taken  by  Mr.  Atherton,  who  was  in  advance  of  the  company.  We 
again  took  our  places  behind  the  mules,  and  hurried  on  to  the 
Mission  of  San  Jose. 

Mr.  Parker  had  been  seized  with  fever  and  chills  during  the 
night,  and  decided  to  rest  a  day  at  the  Pueblo  San  Jose.  Messrs 


SECOND    VIEW    OF    SAN    FBANCISCO.  109 

Atherton  and  Patterson,  with  myself,  after  breakfasting  and 
waking  a  hasty  visit  to  the  rich  pear-trees  and  grape-vines  of  the 
garden,  took  a  shorter  road,  leading  around  the  head  of  the  bay 
to  Whisman's  Ranche.  We  trotted  the  twenty-five  miles  in  about 
four  hours,  rested  an  hour,  and  then  set  out  again,  hoping  to  reach 
San  Francisco  that  night.  It  was  too  much,  however,  for  our 
mules  ;  after  passing  the  point  of  Santa  Clara  mountain  they  be~ 
gan  to  scatter,  and  as  it  was  quite  dark,  we  halted  in  a  grove  near 
the  Ruined  Mission.  We  lay  down  on  the  ground,  supperless  and 
somewhat  weary  with  a  ride  of  about  seventy  miles.  I  slept  a 
refreshing  sleep  under  a  fragrant  bay-tree,  and  was  up  with  the 
first  streak  of  dawn  to  look  after  my  mules.  Once  started,  we 
spurred  our  animals  into  a  rapid  trot,  which  was  not  slackened  till 
we  had  passed  the  twenty  miles  that  intervened  between  us  and 
the  Mission  Dolores. 

When  I  had  climbed  the  last  sand-hill,  riding  in  towards  San 
Francisco,  and  the  town  and  harbor  and  crowded  shipping  again 
opened  to  the  view,  I  could  scarcely  realize  the  change  that  had 
taken  place  during  my  absence  of  three  weeks.  The  town  had  not 
only  greatly  extended  its  limits,  but  seemed  actually  to  have 
doubled  its  number  of  dwellings  since  I  left.  High  up  on  the. 
hills,  where  I  had  seen  only  sand  and  chapparal,  stood  clusters  of 
houses  ;  streets  which  had  been  merely  laid  out,  were  hemmed  in 
with  buildings  and  thronged  with  people  ;  new  warehouses  had 
sprung  up  on  the  water  side,  and  new  piers  were  creeping  out  to 
ward  the  shipping  ;  the  forest  of  masts  had  greatly  thickened  ; 
and  the  noise,  motion  and  bustle  of  business  and  labor  on  all  sides 
were  incessant.  Verily,  the  place  was  in  itself  a  marvel.  To 
say  that  it  was  daily  enlarged  by  from  twenty  to  thirty  houses 
may  not  sound  very  remarkable  after  all  the  stories  that  have 


110  ELDORADO. 

been  told  ;  yet  this,  for  a  country  which  imported  both  lumber 
and  houses,  and  where  labor  was  then  $10  a  day,  is  an  extraordi 
nary  growth.  The  rapidity  with  which  a  ready-made  house  is  put 
up  and  inhabited,  strikes  the  stranger  in  San  Francisco  as  little 
short  of  magic.  He  walks  over  an  open  lot  in  his  before-breakfasi 
stroll — the  next  morning,  a  house  complete,  with  a  family  inside, 
blocks  up  his  way.  He  goes  down  to  the  bay  and  looks  out  on 
the  shipping — two  or  three  days  afterward  a  row  of  storehouses, 
staring  him  in  the  face,  intercepts  the  view. 

I  found  Lieut.  Beale  and  Col.  Lyons,  who  gave  me  an  amusing 
account  of  their  voyage  on  the  San  Joaquin.  The  "  skipper"  of 
the  launch  in  which  they  embarked  knew  nothing  of  navigation, 
and  Lieut.  Beale,  in  spite  of  his  illness,  was  obliged  to  take  com 
mand.  The  other  passengers  were  a  company  of  Mexican  miners. 
After  tacking  for  two  days  among  the  tule  swamps,  the  launch 
ran  aground  ;  the  skipper,  in  pushing  it  off,  left  an  oar  in  the 
sand  and  took  the  boat  to  recover  it.  Just  then  a  finfc  breeze 
sprang  up  and  the  launch  shot  ahead,  leaving  the  skipper  to  fol 
low.  That  night,  having  reached  a  point  within  two  miles  of  the 
site  of  an  impossible  town,  called  New-York-of-the-Pacific,  the 
passengers  left  in  a  body.  The  next  day  they  walked  to  the  little 
village  of  Martinez,  opposite  Benicia,  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
miles,  crossing  the  foot  of  Monte  Diablo.  Here  they  took  anothei 
launch,  and  after  tossing  twelve  hours  on  the  bay,  succeeded  in 
reaching  San  Francisco. 

At  the  United  States  Hotel  I  again  met  with  Colonel  Fremont, 
and  learned  the  particulars  of  the  magnificent  discovery  which  had 
just  been  made  upon  his  ranche  on  the  Mariposa  Eiver.  It  was 
nothing  less  than  a  vein  of  gold  in  the  solid  rock — the  first  which 
had  been  found  in  California.  I  saw  some  specimens  which  were 


COL.  FREMONT'S  MINE  111 

in  Col.  Fremont's  possession.  The  stone  was  a  reddish  quartz, 
filled  with  rich  veins  of  gold,  and  far  surpassing  the  specimens 
brought  from  North  Carolina  and  Georgia.  Some  stones  picked 
up  on  the  top  of  the  quartz  strata,  without  particular  selection, 
yielded  two  ounces  of  gold  to  every  twenty-five  pounds.  Col. 
Fremont  informed  me  that  the  vein  had  been  traced  for  more  than 
a  mile  The  thickness  on  the  surface  is  two  feet,  gradually  widen 
ing  as  it  descends  and  showing  larger  particles  of  gold.  The  dip 
downward  is  only  about  20°,  so  that  the  mine  can  be  worked  with 
little  expense.  The  ranche  upon  which  it  is  situated  was  pur 
chased  by  Col.  Fremont  in  1846  from  Alvarado,  former  Governor 
ot  the  Territory.  It  was  then  considered  nearly  worthless,  and 
Col.  F.  only  took  it  at  the  moment  of  leaving  the  country,  be 
cause  disappointed  in  obtaining  another  property.  This  discovery 
made  a  great  sensation  thoughout  the  country,  at  the  time,  yet  it 
was  but  the  first  of  many  such.  The  Sierra  Nevada  is  pierced  in 
every  part  with  these  priceless  veins,  which  will  produce  gold  for 
centuries  after  every  spot  of  earth  from  base  to  summit  shall  have 
been  turned  over  and  washed  out. 

Many  of  my  fellow-passengers  by  the  Panama  were  realizing 
their  dreams  of  speedy  fortune ;  some  had  already  made  $20,000 
by  speculating  in  town  lots.  A  friend  of  mine  who  had  shipped 
lumber  from  New  York  to  the  amount  of  $1000  sold  it  for 
$14,000.  At  least  seventy-five  houses  had  been  imported  from 
Canton,  and  put  up  by  Chinese  carpenters.  Washing  was  $8  a 
dozen,  and  as  a  consequence,  large  quantities  of  soiled  linen  were 
sent  to  the  antipodes  to  be  purified.  A  vessel  just  in  from  Can 
ton  brought  two  hundred  and  fifty  dozen,  which  had  been  sent  out 
a  few  months  before  ;  another  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  brought 
one  hundred  dozen,  and  the  practice  was  becoming  general. 


CHAPTER  XII, 

SAN    FRANCISCO    BY    DAY    AND    NIGHT. 

A  BETTER  idea  of  San  Francisco,  in  the  beginning  of 
September,  1849,  cannot  be  given  than  by  the  description  of  a 
single  day.  Supposing  the  visitor  to  have  been  long  enough  in  the 
place  to  sleep  on  a  hard  plank  and  in  spite  of  the  attacks  of 
innumerable  fleas,  he  will  be  awakened  at  daylight  by  the  noises 
of  building,  with  which  the  hills  are  all  alive.  The  air  is 
temperate,  and  the  invariable  morning  fog  is  just  beginning  to 
gather.  By  sunrise,  which  gleams  hazily  over  the  Coast  Mountains 
across  the  Bay,  the  whole  populace  is  up  and  at  work.  The 
wooden  buildings  unlock  their  doors,  the  canvas  houses  and  tents 
throw  back  their  front  curtains  ;  the  lighters  on  the  water  are 
warped  out  from  ship  to  ship  ;  carts  and  porters  are  busy  along 
the  beach  ;  and  only  the  gaming-tables,  thronged  all  night  by  the 
votaries  of  chance,  are  idle  and  deserted.  The  temperature  is  so 
fresh  as  to  inspire  an  active  habit  of  body,  and  even  without  the 
Btimulus  of  trade  and  speculation  there  would  be  few  sluggards  at 
this  season. 

As  early  as  half-past  six  the  bells  begin  to  sound  to  breakfast, 
and  for  an  hour  thenceforth,  their  incessant  clang  and  the  braying 
of  immense  gongg  drown  all  the  hammers  that  are  busy  on  a 


THE    STREETS    AFTER    BREAKFAST.  113 

hundred  roofs.  The  hotels,  restaurants  and  refectories  of  all  kinds 
are  already  as  numerous  as  gaming-tables,  and  equally  various  in 
kind.  The  tables  d'hote  of  the  first  class,  (which  charge  $2  and 
upwards  the  meal,)  are  abundantly  supplied.  There  are  others, 
with  more  simple  and  solid  fare,  frequented  by  the  large  class  who 
have  their  fortunes  yet  to  make.  At  the  United  States  and 
California  restaurants,  on  the  plaza,  you  may  get  an  excellent 
beefsteak,  scantily  garnished  with  potatoes,  and  a  cup  of  good 
coffee  or  chocolate,  for  $1.  Fresh  beef,  bread,  potatoes,  and  all 
provisions  which  will  bear  importation,  are  plenty ;  but  milk,  fruit 
and  vegetables  are  classed  as  luxuries,  and  fresh  butter  is  rarely 
heard  of.  On  Montgomery  street,  and  the  vacant  space  fronting 
the  water,  venders  of  coffee,  cakes  and  sweetmeats  have  erected 
their  stands,  in  order  to  tempt  the  appetite  of  sailors  just  arrived 
in  port,  or  miners  coming  down  from  the  mountains. 

By  nine  o'clock  the  town  is  in  the  full  flow  of  business.  The 
streets  running  down  to  the  water,  and  Montgomery  street  which 
fronts  the  Bay,  are  crowded  with  people,  all  in  hurried  motion. 
The  variety  of  characters  and  costumes  is  remarkable.  Our  own 
countrymen  seem  to  lose  their  local  peculiarities  in  such  a  crowd, 
and  it  is  by  chance  epithets  rather  than  by  manner,  that  the  New- 
Yorker  is  distinguished  from  the  Kentuckian,  the  Carolinian  from 
the  Down-Easter,  the  Virginian  from  the  Texan.  The  German 
and  Frenchman  are  more  easily  recognized.  Peruvians  and 
Chilians  go  by  in  their  brown  ponchos,  and  the  sober  Chinese,  cool 
and  impassive  in  the  midst  of  excitement,  look  out  of  the  oblique 
corners  of  their  long  eyes  at  the  bustle,  but  are  never  tempted  to 
venture  from  their  own  line  of  business.  The  eastern  sida  of  th3 
plaza,  in  front  of  the  Parker  House  and  a  canvas  hell  called  the 
Eldorado,  are  the  general  rendezvous  of  business  and  amusement 


114  ELDORADO. 

— combining  'change,  park,  club-room  and  promenade  all  in  one 
There,  everybody  not  constantly  employed  in  one  spot,  may  be 
seen  at  some  time  of  the  day.  The  character  of  the  groups 
scattered  along  the  plaza  is  oftentimes  very  interesting.  In  one  place 
are  three  or  four  speculators  bargaining  for  lots,  buying  and  sell 
ing  "  fifty  varas  square  "  in  towns,  some  of  which  are  canvas  and 
some  only  paper  ;  in  another,  a  company  of  miners,  brown  as 
leather,  and  rugged  in  features  as  in  dress ;  in  a  third,  perhaps, 
three  or  four  naval  officers  speculating  on  the  next  cruise,  or  a 
knot  of  genteel  gamblers,  talking  over  the  last  night's  operations. 

The  day  advances.  The  mist  which  after  sunrise  hung  low  and 
heavy  for  an  hour  or  two,  has  risen  above  the  hills,  and  there  will 
be  two  hours  of  pleasant  sunshine  before  the  wind  sets  in  from  the 
sea.  The  crowd  in  the  streets  is  now  wholly  alive.  Men  dart 
hither  and  thither,  as  if  possessed  with  a  never-resting  spirit. 
You  speak  to  an  acquaintance — a  merchant,  perhaps.  He  utters 
a  few  hurried  words  of  greeting,  while  his  eyes  send  keen  glances 
on  all  sides  of  you  ;  suddenly  he  catches  sight  of  somebody  in  the 
crowd  ;  he  is  off,  and  in  the  next  five  minutes  has  bought  up  half 
a  cargo,  sold  a  town  lot  at  treble  the  sum  he  gave,  and  taken  a 
share  in  some  new  and  imposing  speculation.  It  is  impossible  to 
witness  this  excess  and  dissipation  of  business,  without  feeling 
something  of  its  influence.  The  very  air  is  pregnant  with  the 
magnetism  of  bold,  spirited,  unwearied  action,  and  he  who  but 
ventures  into  the  outer  circle  of  the  whirlpool,  is  spinning,  ere  he 
has  time  for  thought,  in  its  dizzy  vortex. 

But  see  !  the  groups  in  the  plaza  suddenly  scatter ;  the  citv 
surveyor  jerks  his  pole  out  of  the  ground  and  leaps  on  a  pile  of 
boards  ;  the  venders  of  cakes  and  sweetmeats  follow  his  example., 
and  the  place  is  cleared,  just  as  a  wild  bull  which  has  been  racing 


A    BULL-CHASE.  115 

down  Kearney  street  makes  his  appearance.  Two  vaqueros, 
shouting  and  swinging  their  lariats,  follow  at  a  hot  gallop  ;  the 
dust  flies  as  they  dash  across  the  plaza.  One  of  them,  in  mid- 
career,  hurls  his  lariat  in  the  air.  Mark  how  deftly  the  coil 
unwinds  in  its  flying  curve,  and  with  what  precision  the  noose 
falls  over  the  bull's  horns  !  The  horse  wheels  as  if  on  a  pivot, 
and  shoots  off  in  an  opposite  line.  He  knows  the  length  of  the 
lariat  to  a  hair,  and  the  instant  it  is  drawn  taught,  plants  his  feei 
firmly  for  the  shock  and  throws  his  body  forward.  -The  bull  u 
"  brought  up  "  with  such  force  as  to  throw  him  off  his  legs. 
He  lies  stunned  a  moment,  and  then,  rising  heavily,  makes 
another  charge.  But  by  this  time  the  second  vaquero  has  thrown 
a  lariat  around  one  of  his  hind  legs,  and  thus  checked  on  both 
sides,  he  is  dragged  off  to  slaughter. 

The  plaza  is  refilled  as  quickly  as  it  was  emptied,  and  the 
course  of  business  is  resumed.  About  twelve  o'clock,  a  wind 
begins  to  blow  from  the  north-west,  sweeping  with  most  violence 
through  a  gap  between  the  hills,  opening  towards  the  Golden 
Gate.  The  bells  and  gongs  begin  to  sound  for  dinner,  and  these 
two  causes  tend  to  lessen  the  crowd  in  the  streets  for  an  hour  or 
two.  Two  o'clock  is  the  usual  dinner-time  for  business  men,  but 
some  of  the  old  and  successful  merchants  have  adopted  the 
fashionable  hour  of  five.  Where  shall  we  dine  to-day  ?  the 
restaurants  display  their  signs  invitingly  on  all  sides ;  we  have 
choice  of  the  United  States,  Tortoni's,  the  Alhambra,  and  many 
other  equally  classic  resorts,  but  Delmonico's,  like  its  distinguished 
original  in  New  York,  has  the  highest  prices  and  the  greatest 
variety  of  dishes.  We  go  down  Kearney  street  to  a  two -story 
wooden  house  on  the  corner  of  Jackson.  The  lower  story  is  a 
market ;  the  walls  are  garnished  with  quarters  of  beef  and 


116 


ELDORADO. 


mutton ;  a  Luge  pile  of  Sandwich  Island  squashes  fills  one 
corner,  and  several  cabbage-heads,  valued  at  $2  each,  show 
themselves  in  the  window.  We  enter  a  little  door  at  the  end  of 
the  building,  ascend  a  dark,  narrow  flight  of  steps  and  find  our 
selves  in  a  long,  low  room,  with  ceiling  and  walls  of  white  muslin 
and  a  floor  covered  with  oil-cloth 

There  are  about  twenty  tables  disposed  in  two  rows,  all  of  them 
so  well  filled  that  we  have  some  difficulty  in  finding  places.  Tak 
ing  up  the  written  bill  of  fare,  we  find  such  items  as  the  following  : 


SOUPS. 

Mock  Turtle $0  76 

St.  Julien 1  00 

FISH. 

Boiled  Salmon  Trout,  Anchovy 
sauce       1  75 

BOILED. 

Leg  Mutton,  caper  sauce  .  .  1  00 
Corned  Beef,  Cabbage,  ...  1  00 
Ham  and  Tongues  ....  0  75 


ENTREES. 

Fillet  of  Beef,    mushroom 

sauce $1  75 

Veal  Cutlets,  breaded    ...  1  00 

Mutton  Chop 1  00 

Lobster  Salad 2  00 

Sirloin  of  Venison 1  50 

Baked  Maccaroni 0  75 

Beef  Tongue,  sauce  piquante  1  00 


So  that,  with  but  a  moderate  appetite,  the  dinner  will  cost  us 
$5,  if  we  are  at  all  epicurean  in  our  tastes.  There  are  cries  of 
"  steward  !"  from  all  parts  of  the  room — the  word  "  waiter"  is 
not  considered  sufficiently  respectful,  seeing  that  the  waiter  may 
have  been  a  lawyer  or  merchant's  clerk  a  few  months  before.  The 
dishes  look  very  small  as  they  are  placed  on  the  table,  but  they 
are  skilfully  cooked  and  very  palatable  to  men  that  have  ridden  in 
from  the  diggings.  The  appetite  one  acquires  in  California  is 
something  .remarkable.  For  two  months  after  my  arrival,  my 
sensations  were  like  those  of  a  famished  wolf. 

In  the  matter  of  dining,  the  tastes  of  all  nations  can  be  gratified 
here.  There  are  French  restaurants  on  the  plaza  and  on  Dupont 
street ;  an  extensive  German  establishment  on  Pacific  street ;  the 
Fonda  Peruana  ;  the  Italian  Confectionary ;  and  three  Chinese 


THE    AFTERNOON.  117 

houses,  denoted  by  their  long  three-cornered  flags  of  yellow  silk. 
The  latter  are  much  frequented  by  Americans,  on  account  of  their 
excellent  cookery,  and  the  fact  that  meals  are  $1  each,  without 
regard  to  quantity.  Kong-Sung's  house  is  near  the  water ; 
Whang-Tong's  in  Sacramento  Street,  and  Tong-Ling's  in  Jackson 
street.  There  the  grave  Celestials  serve  up  their  chow-chow  and 
curry,  besides  many  genuine  English  dishes  ;  their  tea  and  coffee 
cannot  be  surpassed. 

The  afternoon  is  less  noisy  and  active  than  the  forenoon. 
Merchants  keep  within-doors,  and  the  gambling-rooms  are  crowded 
with  persons  who  step  in  to  escape  the  wind  and  dust.  The  sky 
takes  a  cold  gray  cast,  and  the  hills  over  the  bay  are  barely  visible 
in  the  dense,  dusty  air.  Now  and  then  a  watcher,  who  has  been 
stationed  on  the  hill  above  Fort  Montgomery,  comes  down  and 
reports  an  inward-bound  vessel,  which  occasions  a  little  excitement 
among  the  boatmen  and  the  merchants  who  are  awaiting  consign 
ments.  Towards  sunset,  the  plaza  is  nearly  deserted  ;  the  wind 
is  merciless  in  its  force,  and  a  heavy  overcoat  is  not  found  un 
pleasantly  warm.  As  it  grows  dark,  there  is  a  lull,  though  occa 
sional  gusts  blow  down  the  hill  and  carry  the  dust  of  the  city  out 
among  the  shipping. 

The  appearance  of  San  Francisco  at  night,  from  the  water,  is 
unlike  anything  I  ever  beheld.  The  houses  are  mostly  of  canvas, 
which  is  made  transparent  by  the  lamps  within,  and  transforms 
them,  in  the  darkness,  to  dwellings  of  solid  light.  Seated  on  tho 
slopes  of  its  three  hills,  the  tents  pitched  among  the  chapparal  to 
the  very  summits,  it  gleams  like  an  amphitheatre  of  fire.  Here 
and  there  shine  out  brilliant  points,  from  the  decoy-lamps  of  the 
gaming-houses  ;  and  through  the  indistinct  murmur  of  the  streets 
comes  by  fits  the  sound  of  music  from  their  hot  and  crowded  pre« 


118  ELDORADO. 

cincts.  The  picture  has  in  it  something  unreal  and  fantastic  ;  it 
impresses  one  like  the  cities  of  the  magic  lantern,  which  a  motion 
of  the  hand  can  build  or  annihilate. 

The  only  objects  left  for  us  to  visit  are  the  gaming-tables,  whose 
day  has  just  fairly  dawned.  We  need  not  wander  far  in  search  of 
one.  Denison's  Exchange,  the  Parker  House  and  Eldorado  stand 
side  by  side  ;  across  the  way  are  the  Verandah  and  Aguila  de 
Oro  ;  higher  up  the  plaza  the  St.  Charles  and  Bella  Union ;  while 
'dozens  of  second-rate  establishments  are  scattered  through  the  less 
frequented  streets.  The  greatest  crowd  is  about  the  Eldorado  ; 
we  find  it  difficult  to  effect  an  entrance.  There  are  about  eight 
tables  in  the  room,  all  of  which  are  thronged  ;  copper-hued  Ka 
nakas,  Mexicans  rolled  in  their  sarapes  and  Peruvians  thrust 
through  their  ponchos,  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  brown 
and  bearded  American  miners.  The  stakes  are  generally  small, 
though  when  the  bettor  gets  into  "  a  streak  of  luck,"  as  it  is  called, 
they  are  allowed  to  double  until  all  is  lost  or  the  bank  breaks. 
Along  the  end  of  the  room  is  a  spacious  bar,  supplied  with  all 
kinds  of  bad  liquors,  and  in  a  sort  of  gallery,  suspended  under  the 
ceiling,  a  female  violinist  tasks  her  talent  and  strength  of  muscle 
to  minister  to  the  excitement  of  play. 

The  Verandah,  opposite,  is  smaller,  but  boasts  an  equal  attrac 
tion  in  a  musician  who  has  a  set  of  Pandean  pipes  fastened  at  his 
chin,  a  drum  on  his  back,  which  he  beats  with  sticks  at  his  elbows, 
and  cymbals  in  his  hands.  The  piles  of  coin  on  the  monte  tables 
clink  merrily  to  his  playing,  and  the  throng  of  spectators,  jammed 
together  in  a  sweltering  mass,  walk  up  to  the  bar  between  the 
tunes  and  drink  out  of  sympathy  with  his  dry  and  breathless  throat. 
At  the  Aguila  de  Oro  there  is  a  full  band  of  Ethiopian  serenaders, 
and  at  the  other  hells,  violins,  guitars  or  wheezy  accordeons,  as 


THE    INSIDE    OF    A    GAMBLING-HELL.  1  19 

the  case  may  be.  The  atmosphere  of  these  places  is  rank  with 
tobacco-smoke,  and  filled  with  a  feverish,  stifling  heat,  which 
communicates  an  unhealthy  glow  to  the  faces  of  the  players. 

We  shall  not  be  deterred  from  entering  by  the  heat  and  smoke, 
or  the  motley  characters  into  whose  company  we  shall  be  thrown. 
There  are  rare  chances  here  for  seeing  human  nature  in  one  of  its 
most  dark  and  exciting  phases.  Note  the  variety  of  expression  in 
the  faces  gathered  around  this  table  !  They  are  playing  monte, 
the  favorite  game  in  California,  since  the  chances  are  considered 
more  equal  and  the  opportunity  of  false  play  very  slight.  The 
dealer  throws  out  his  cards  with  a  cool,  nonchalant  air  ;  indeed, 
the  gradual  increase  of  the  hollow  square  of  dollars  at  his  left  hand 
is  not  calculated  to  disturb  his  equanimity.  The  two  Mexicans  in 
front,  muffled  in  their  dirty  sarapes,  put  down  their  half-dollars 
and  dollars  and  see  them  lost,  without  changing  a  muscle.  Gam 
bling  is  a  born  habit  with  them,  and  they  would  lose  thousands 
with  the  same  indhTerence. .  Very  different  is  the  demeanor  of  the 
Americans  who  are  playing  ;  their  good  or  ill  luck  is  betrayed  at 
once  by  involuntary  exclamations  and  changes  of  countenance, 
unless  the  stake  should  be  very  large  and  absorbing,  when  their 
anxiety,  though  silent,  may  be  read  with  no  less  certainty.  They 
have  no  power  to  resist  the  fascination  of  the  game.  Now  count 
ing  their  winnings  by  thousands,  now  dependent  on  the  kindness 
of  a  friend  for  a  few  dollars  to  commence  anew,  they  pass  hour 
after  hour  in  those  hot,  unwholesome  dens.  There  is  no  appear 
ance  of  arms,  but  let  one  of  the  players,  impatient  with  his  losses 
and  maddened  by  the  poisonous  fluids  he  has  drank,  threaten  one 
of  the  profession,  and  there  will  be  no  scarcity  of  knives  and  re 
volvers. 

There  are  other  places,  where  gaming  is  carried  on  privately 


120  ELDORADO. 

and  to  a  more  ruinous  extent — rooms  in  the  rear  of  the  Parker 
House,  in  the  City  Hotel  and  other  places,  frequented  only  by  the 
initiated.  Here  the  stakes  are  almost  unlimited,  the  players  being 
men  of  wealth  and  apparent  respectability.  Frequently,  in  the 
absorbing  interest  of  some  desperate  game  the  night  goes  by  un 
heeded  and  morning  breaks  upon  haggard  faces  and  reckless  hearts. 
Here  are  lost,  in  a  few  turns  of  a  card  or  rolls  of  a  ball,  the  product 
of  fortunate  ventures  by  sea  or  months  of  racking  labor  on  land. 
How  many  men,  maddened  by  continual  losses,  might  exclaim  in 
their  blind  vehemence  of  passion,  on  leaving  these  hells  : 

"  Out,  out,  thou  strumpet,  Fortune  !    All  you  gods, 
In  general  synod,  take  away  her  power  j 
Break  all  the  spokes  and  fellies  from  her  wheel, 
And  bowl  the  round  nave  down  the  hill  of  heaven, 
A0  low  as  to  the  fiends  !" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

INCIDENTS    OF    A    WALK    TO    MONTEREY. 

I  STAYED  but  four  or  five  days  in  San  Francisco  on  my  return. 
The  Convention,  elected  to  form  a  constitution  for  California,  was 
then  in  session  at  Monterey,  and,  partly  as  an  experiment,  partly 
for  economy's  sake,  I  determined  to  make  the  journey  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles  on  foot.  Pedestrianism  in  California, 
however,  as  I  learned  by  this  little  experience,  is  something  more 
of  a  task  than  in  most  countries,  one  being  obliged  to  carry  his 
hotel  with  him.  The  least  possible  bedding  is  a  Mexican  sarape, 
which  makes  a  burdensome  addition  to  a  knapsack,  and  a  loaf  of 
bread  and  flask  of  water  are  inconvenient,  when  the  mercury 
stands  at  90°.  Besides,  the  necessity  of  pushing  forward  many 
miles  to  reach  "  grass  and  water"  at  night,  is  not  very  pleasant 
to  the  foot-sore  and  weary  traveler.  A  mule,  with  all  his  satanic 
propensities,  is  sometimes  a  very  convenient  animal. 

Dressed  in  a  complete  suit  of  corduroy,  with  a  shirt  of  purplo 
flannel  and  boots  calculated  to  wear  an  indefinite  length  of  time,  I 
left  San  Francisco  one  afternoon,  waded  through  the  three  miles 
of  deep  sand  to  the  Mission,  crossed  the  hills  and  reached 
Sanchez'  Ranche  a  little  after  dark.  I  found- the  old  man,  who 
is  said  to  dislike  the  Americans  most  cordially,  very  friendly.  He 

VOL.  i.         6 


122  ELDORADO. 

set  before  nie  a  supper  of  beef  stewed  in  red-peppers  and  then 
gave  me  a  bed — an  actual  bed — and,  wonder  of  wonders  !  without 
fleas.  Not  far  from  Sanchez  there  is  a  large  adobe  house,  the 
rums  of  a  former  Mission,  in  the  neighborhood  of  which  I  noticed 
a  grove  of  bay-trees.  They  were  of  a  different  species  from  the 
Italian  bay,  and  the  leaves  gave  out  a  most  pungent  odor.  Some 
of  the  trees  were  of  extraordinary  size,  the  trunk  being  three 
feet  in  diameter.  They  grew  along  the  banks  of  a  dry  arroyo, 
and  had  every  appearance  of  being  indigenous.  I  found  the  Jor 
nada  of  twenty-five  miles  to  Secondini's  Ranche,  extremely  fa 
tiguing  in  the  hot  sun.  I  entered  the  ranche  panting,  threw  my 
knapsack  on  the  floor  and  inquired  of  a  handsome  young  Cali- 
fornian,  dressed  in  blue  calzoneros  :  "  Can  you  give  me  anything 
to  eat  ?"  "  Nada — nad-i-t-a  /"  he  answered,  sharpening  out  the 
sound  with  an  expression  which  meant,  as  plain  as  words  could 
say  it :  "  nothing  ;  not  even  the  little  end  of  nothing  !" 

I  was  too  hungry  to  be  satisfied  with  this  reply,  and  commenced 
an  inventory  of  all  the  articles  on  hand.  I  found  plenty  of  French 
brandy,  mescal  and  various  manufactured  wines,  which  I  rejected  ; 
but  my  search  was  at  last  rewarded  by  a  piece  of  bread,  half  a 
Dutch  cheese  and  a  bottle  of  ale,  nearly  all  of  which  soon  disap 
peared.  Towards  night,  some  of  the  vaqueros  brought  in  a  cow 
with  a  lariat  around  her  horns,  threw  her  on  the  ground  and 
plunged  a  knife  into  her  breast.  A  roaring  fire  was  already  kindled 
behind  the  house,  and  the  breath  had  not  been  many  seconds  out 
of  the  cow's  body,  before  pieces  of  meat,  slashed  from  her  flank, 
were  broiling  on  the  coals.  When  about  half  cooked,  they  were 
snatched  out,  dripping  with  the  rich,  raw  juices  of  the  animal, 
and  eaten  as  a  great  delicacy.  One  of  the  vaqueros  handed  me  a 
large  slice,  which  I  found  rather  tough,  but  so  remarkably  sweet 


FISHER  S    RANCHE.  123 

and  nutritious  that  I  ate  it,  feeling  myself  at  the  time  little  bet 
ter  than  a  wolf.  , 

I  left  Secondini's  at  daybreak  and  traveled  twelve  miles  to  the 
Mission  of  Santa  Clara,  where,  not  being  able  to  obtain  breakfast> 
I  walked  into  the  garden  and  made  a  meal  of  pears  and  the  juicy 
fruit  of  the  cactus.  Thence  to  Pueblo  San  Jose,  where  I  left  the 
road  I  had  already  traveled,  and  took  the  broad  highway  running 
southward,  up  the  valley  of  San  Jose.  The  mountains  were 
barely  visible  on  either  side,  through  the  haze,  and  the  road,  per 
fectly  level,  now  passed  over  wide  reaches  of  grazing  land,  now 
crossed  park-like  tracts,  studded  with  oaks  and  sycamores — a 
charming  interchange  of  scenery.  I  crossed  the  dry  bed  of  Coy 
ote  Creek  several  times,  and  reached  Capt.  Fisher's  Ranche  as  it 
was  growing  dusk,  and  a  passing  traveler  warned  me  to  look  out 
for  bears. 

Capt.  Fisher,  who  is  married  to  a  Californian  lady  and  has  lived 
many  years  in  the  country,  has  one  of  the  finest  ranches  in  the 
valley,  containing  four  square  leagues  of  land,  or  about  eighteen 
thousand  acres.  There  are  upon  it  eighteen  streams  or  springs, 
two  small  orchards,  and  a  vineyard  and  garden.  He  purchased 
it  at  auction  about  three  years  since  for  $3,000,  which  was  then 
considered  a  high  price,  but  since  the  discovery  of  gold  he  has 
been  offered  $80,000  for  it.  I  was  glad  to  find,  from  the  account 
he  gave  me  of  his  own  experience  as  a  farmer,  that  my  first  im 
pressions  of  the  character  of  California  as  an  agricultural  country, 
were  fully  justified.  The  barren,  burnt  appearance  of  the  plains 
during  the  summer  season  misled  many  persons  as  to  the  value 
of  the  country  in  this  respect.  From  all  quarters  were  heard 
complaints  of  the  torrid  heat  and  arid  soil  under  which  large 
rivers  dry  up  and  vegetation  almost  entirely  disappears.  The 


124  ELDORADO. 

possibility  of  raising  good  crops  of  any  kind  was  vehemently  de« 
nied,  and  the  bold  assertion  made  that  the  greater  part  of  Cali 
fornia  is  worthless,  except  for  grazing  purposes.  Capt.  Fisher 
informed  me,  however,  that  there  is  no  such  wheat  country  in  the 
world.  Even  with  the  imperfect  plowing  of  the  natives,  which 
does  little  more  than  scratch  up  the  surface  of  the  ground,  it  pro 
duces  a  hundred-fold.  Not  only  this,  but,  without  further  culti 
vation,  a  large  crop  springs  up  on  the  soil  the  second  and  some 
times  even  the  third  year.  Capt.  Fisher  knew  of  a  ranchero  who 
sowed  twenty  fanegas  of  wheat,  from  which  he  harvested  one 
thousand  and  twenty  fanegas.  The  second  year  he  gathered  from 
the  same  ground  eight  hundred  fanegas,  and  the  third  year  six 
hundred.  The  unvarying  dryness  of  the  climate  after  the  rains  have 
ceased  preserves  grain  of  all  kinds  from  rot,  and  perhaps  from  the 
same  circumstance,  the  Hessian  fly  is  unknown.  The  mountain 
sides,  to  a  considerable  extent,  are  capable  of  yielding  fine  crops 
of  wheat,  barley  and  rye,  and  the  very  summits  and  ravines  on 
which  the  wild  oats  grow  so  abundantly  will  of  course  give  a  richer 
return  when  they  have  been  traversed  by  the  plow. 

Corn  grows  upon  the  plains,  but  thrives  best  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  streams.  It  requires  no  irrigation,  and  is  not  planted 
until  after  the  last  rain  has  fallen.  The  object  of  this,  however, 
is  to  avoid  the  growth  of  weeds,  which,  were  it  planted  earlier, 
would  soon  choke  it,  in  the  absence  of  a  proper  system  of  farm 
ing.  The  use  of  the  common  cultivator  would  remove  this  diffi 
culty,  and  by  planting  in  March  instead  of  May,  an  abundant 
crop  would  be  certain.  I  saw  several  hundred  acres  which  Capt. 
Fisher  had  on  his  ranche.  The  ears  were  large  and  well  filled, 
and  the  stalks,  though  no  rain  had  fallen  for  four  months,  were  as 
green  and  fresh  as  in  our  fields  at  home.  Ground  which  has  been 


AGRICULTURE    IN    CALIFORNIA.  125 

plowed  and  planted,  though  it  shows  a  dry  crust  on  the  top,  re 
tains  its  moisture  to  within  six  inches  of  the  surface  ;  while  close 
beside  it,  and  on  the  same  level,  the  uncultured  earth  is  seamed 
with  heat,  and  vegetation  burned  up.  The  valley  of  San  Jose  is 
sixty  miles  in  length,  and  contains  at  least  five  hundred  square 
miles  of  level  plain,  nearly  the  whole  of  which  is  capable  of  culti 
vation.  In  regard  to  climate  and  situation,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
favored  parts  of  California,  though  the  valleys  of  Sonoma,  Napa, 
Bodega,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Sacramento  country,  are  said 
to  be  equally  fertile. 

Vegetables  thrive  luxuriantly,  and  many  species,  such  as 
melons,  pumpkins,  squashes,  beans,  potatoes,  etc.,  require  no 
further  care  than  the  planting.  Cabbages,  onions,  and  all  others 
which  are  transplanted  in  the  spring,  are  obliged  to  be  irrigated. 
Grape  vines  in  some  situations  require  to  be  occasionally  watered ; 
when  planted  on  moist  slopes,  they  produce  without  it.  A 
Frenchman  named  Vigne  made  one  hundred  barrels  of  wine  in  one 
year,  from  a  vineyard  of  about  six  acres,  which  he  cultivates  at 
the  Mission  San  Jose.  Capt.  Fisher  had  a  thousand  vines  in  his 
garden,  which  were  leaning  on  the  earth  from  the  weight  of  their 
fruit.  Many  of  the  clusters  weighed  four  and  five  pounds,  and  in 
bloom,  richness  and  flavor  rivaled  the  choicest  growth  of  Tuscany 
or  the  Rhine.  The  vine  will  hereafter  be  an  important  product 
of  California,  and  even  Burgundy  and  Tokay  may  be  superseded 
on  the  tables  of  the  luxurious  by  the  vintage  of  San  Jos^  and 
Los  Angeles. 

Before  reaching  Fisher's  Ranche,  I  noticed  on  my  left  a  bold 
spur  striking  out  from  the  mountain -range.  It  terminated  in  a 
bluff,  and  both  the  rock  and  soil  were  of  the  dark-red  color  of 
Egyptian  porphyry,  denoting  the  presence  of  cinnabar,  the  ore  of 


126  ELDORADO. 

quicksilver  The  veins  of  this  metal  contained  in  the  mountain 
are  thought  to  be  equal  to  those  of  the  mines  of  Santa  Clara, 
which  are  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  about  eight  miles  from 
Pueblo  San  Jose. 

The  following  morning  I  resumed  my  walk  up  the  valley.  The 
soft,  cloudless  sky — the  balmy  atmosphere — the  mountain  ranges 
on  either  hand,  stretching  far  before  me  until  they  vanished  in 
purple  haae — the  sea-like  sweep  of  the  plain,  with  its  islands  and 
shores  of  dark-green  oak,  and  the  picturesque  variety  of  animal 
life  on  all  sides,  combined  to  form  a  landscape  which  I  may  have 
seen  equalled  but  never  surpassed.  Often,  far  in  advance  beyond 
the  belts  of  timber,  a  long  blue  headland  would  curve  out  from  the 
mountains  and  seem  to  close  up  the  beautiful  plain  ;  but  after  the 
road  had  crossed  its  point,  another  and  grander  plain  expanded 
for  leagues  before  the  eye.  Nestled  in  a  warm  nook  on  the  sunny 
side  of  one  of  these  mountain  capes,  I  found  the  ranche  of  Mr. 
Murphy,  commanding  a  splendid  prospect.  Beyond  the  house 
and  across  a  little  valley,  rose  the  conical  peak  of  El  Toro,  an 
isolated  mountain  which  served  as  a  landmark  from  San  Jose 
nearly  to  Monterey. 

I  was  met  at  the  door  by  Mr.  Ruckel  of  San  Francisco,  who, 
with  Mr.  Everett  of  New  York,  had  been  rusticating  a  few  days 
in  the  neighborhood.  They  introduced  me  to  Mr.  Murphy  and 
his  daughter,  Ellen,  both  residents  of  the  country  for  the  last  six 
years.  Mr.  Murphy,  who  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  emigrated  from 
Missouri,  with  his  family,  in  1843.  He  owns  nine  leagues  of  land 
(forty  thousand  acres)  in  the  valley,  and  his  cottage  is  a  well-known 
and  wolcome  resting-place  to  all  the  Americans  in  the  country. 
During  the  war  he  remained  on  the  ranche  in  company  with  his 
daughter,  notwithstanding  Castro's  troops  were  scouring  the 


A    MOUNTAIN    PANORAMA.  127 

country,  and  all  other  families  had  moved  to  the  Pueblo  for  pro 
tection.  His  three  sons  were  at  the  same  time  volunteers  under 
Fremont's  command. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Murphy  kindly  offered  to  accompany  me  to 
the  top  of  El  Toro.  Two  horses  were  driven  in  from  the  eabal- 
lada  and  saddled,  and  on  these  we  started,  at  the  usual  sweeping 
speed.  Reaching  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  the  lithe  and  spirited 
animals  climbed  its  abrupt  side  like  goats,  following  the  windings 
of  cattle-paths  up  the  rocky  ridges  and  through  patches  of  stunted 
oan  and  chapparal,  till  finally,  bathed  in  sweat  and  panting  with 
the  toil,  they  stood  on  the  summit.  We  looked  on  a  vast  and 
wonderful  landscape.  The  mountain  rose  like  an  island  in  the  sea 
of  air,  so  far  removed  from  all  it  overlooked,  that  everything  was 
wrapped  in  a  subtle  violet  haze,  through  which  the  features  of  the 
scene  seemed  grander  and  more  distant  than  the  reality.  West 
of  us,  range  behind  range,  ran  the  Coast  Mountains,  parted  by 
deep,  wild  valleys,  in  which  we  could  trace  the  course  of  streams, 
shaded  by  the  pine  and  the  giant  redwood.  On  the  other  side,  the 
valley  of  San  Jose,  ten  miles  in  width,  lay  directly  at  our  feet, 
extending  to  the  North  and  South,  beyond  point  and  headland, 
till  either  extremity  was  lost  in  the  distance.  The  unvarying 
yellow  hue  of  mountain  and  plain,  except  where  they  were  traversed 
by  broad  belts  of  dark  green  timber,  gave  a  remarkable  effect  to 
the  view.  It  was  not  the  color  of  barrenness  and  desolation  and 
had  no  character  of  sadness  or  even  monotony.  Rather,  glim 
mering  through  the  mist,  the  mountains  seemed  to  have  arrayed 
themselves  in  cloth  of  gold,  as  if  giving  testimony  of  the  royal 
metal  with  which  their  veins  abound. 

After  enjoying  this  scene  for  some  time,  we  commenced  the 
descent.  The  peak  slanted  downward  at  an  angle  of  45°,  which 


128  ELDORADO. 

rendered  it  toilsome  work  for  our  horses.  I  was  about  half-way 
down  the  summit-cone,  when  my  saddle,  slipping  over  the  horse's 
shoulders,  suddenly  dropped  to  his  ears.  I  was  shot  forward  and 
alighted  on  my  feet  two  or  three  yards  below,  fortunately  retaining 
the  end  of  the  lariat  in  my  hand.  For  a  few  minutes  we  performed 
a  very  spirited  pas  de  deux  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  but  Mr. 
Murphy  coming  to  my  assistance,  the  horse  was  finally  quieted  and 
re-saddled.  The  afternoon  was  by  this  time  far  advanced,  and  I 
accepted  Mr.  Murphy's  invitation  to  remain  for  the  night.  His 
pleasant  family  circle  was  increased  in  the  evening  by  the  arrival 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Dowiat,  a  Catholic  Missionary  from  Oregon,  who 
gave  us  an  account  of  the  Indian  massacre  the  previous  winter. 
He  was  on  the  spot  the  day  of  its  occurrence  and  assisted  in  in 
terring  the  bodies  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  fellow-victims. 

I  traveled  slowly  the  next  day,  for  the  hot  sand  and  unaccus 
tomed  exercise  were  beginning  to  make  some  impression  on  my 
feet.  Early  in  the  afternoon  I  reached  some  milpas  standing  in 
the  middle  of  a  cornfield.  A  handsome  young  ranchero  came 
dashing  up  on  a  full  gallop,  stopping  his  horse  with  a  single  bound 
as  he  neared  me.  I  asked  him  the  name  of  the  ranche,  and 
whether  he  could  give  me  a  dinner.  "  It  is  Castro's  Ranche,"  he 
replied  ;  "  and  I  am  a  Castro.  If  you  want  water-melons,  or  dinner 
either,  don't  go  to  the  other  milpas,  for  they  have  nothing :  venga !" 
and  off  he  started,  dashing  through  the  corn  and  over  the  melon 
patches,  as  if  they  were  worthless  sand.  I  entered  the  milpa, 
which  resembled  an  enormous  wicker  crate.  In  default  of  chairs 
I  sat  upon  the  ground,  and  very  soon  a  dish  of  tortillas,  one  of 
boiled  corn  and  another  of  jerked  beef,  vere  set  before  me.  There 
was  no  need  of  knives  and  forks  ;  I  watched  the  heir  of  the  Castros, 
placed  a  tortilla  on  one  knee  and  plied  my  fingers  with  an  assiduity 


BELATED    ON    THE    ROAD.  129 

equal  to  his  own,  so  that  between  us  there  was  little  left  of  the 
repast.  He  then  picked  out  two  melons  from  a  large  pile,  rolled 
them  to  me,  and  started  away  again,  doubtless  to  chase  down  more 
customers. 

The  road  crossed  the  dry  bed  of  a  river,  passed  some  meadows 
of  fresh  green  grass  and  entered  the  hills  on  the  western  side  of  the 
valley.  After  passing  the  divide,  I  met  an  old  Indian,  traveling 
on  foot,  of  whom  I  asked  the  distance  to  San  Juan.  His  reply  in 
broken  Spanish  was  given  with  a  comical  brevity  :  "  San  Juan- 
two  leagues — you  sleep — I  sleep  rancho — you  walk — I  walk  , 
anddj  vamos  /"  and  pointing  to  the  sun  to  signify  that  it  was 
growing  late,  he  trudged  off  with  double  speed.  By  sunset  I 
emerged  from  the  mountains,  waded  the  Rio  Pajaro,  and  entered 
on  the  valley  of  San  Juan,  which  stretched  for  leagues  before  me, 
as  broad  and  beautiful  as  that  I  had  left.  The  road,  leading  di 
rectly  across  it,  seemed  endless  ;  I  strained  my  eyes  in  vain  look 
ing  for  the  Mission.  At  last  a  dark  spot  appeared  some  distance 
ahead  of  me.  "  Pray  heaven,"  thought  I,  "  that  you  be  either  a 
house,  and  stand  still,  or  a  man,  and  come  forward."  It  was  an 
Indian  vaquero,  who  pointed  out  a  dark  line,  which  I  could  barely 
discern  through  the  dusk.  Soon  afterwards  the  sound  of  a  bell, 
chiming  vespers,  broke  on  the  silence,  but  I  was  still  more  weary 
before  I  reached  the  walls  where  it  swung. 

At  the  inn  adjoining  the  Mission  I  found  Rev.  Mr.  Hunt,  Col 
Stewart,  Capt.  Simmons  and  Mr.  Harrison,  of  San  Francisco 
We  had  beds,  but  did  not  sleep  much  ;  few  travelers,  in  fact,  sleep 
at  any  of  the  Missions,  on  account  of  the  dense  population.  In 
the  morning  I  made  a  sketch  of  the  ruined  building,  filled  my 
pockets  with  pears  in  the  orchard,  and  started  up  a  caiiada  to  cross 
the  mountains  to  the  plain  of  Salinas  River.  It  was  a  mule-path, 


J30  ELDORADO. 

impracticable  for  wagons,  and  leading  directly  up  the  face  of  the 
dividing  ridge.  Clumps  of  the  madrono — a  native  evergeen,  with 
large,  glossy  leaves,  and  trunk  and  branches  of  bright  j  urple — • 
filled  the  ravines,  and  dense  thickets  of  a  shrub  with  a  snow-white 
berry  lined  the  way.  From  the  summit  there  was  a  fine  moun 
tain-view,  sloping  off  on  either  hand  into  the  plains  of  San  Juan 
and  Salinas. 

Along  this  road,  since  leaving  San  Jose,  I  met  constantly  with 
companies  of  emigrants  from  the  Gila,  on  their  way  to  the  dig 
gings.  Many  were  on  foot,  having  had  their  animals  taken  from 
them  by  the  Yuma  Indians  at  the  crossing  of  the  Colorado.  They 
were  wild,  sun-burned,  dilapidated  men,  but  with  strong  and  hardy 
frames,  that  were  little  affected  by  the  toils  of  the  journey.  Some 
were  mounted  on  mules  which  had  carried  them  from  Texas  and 
Arkansas  ;  and  two  of  the  Knickerbocker  Company,  having  joined 
their  teams  to  a  wagon,  had  begun  business  by  filling  it  with  vege 
tables  at  the  Mission,  to  sell  again  in  the  gold  district.  In  a  little 
glen  I  found  a  party  of  them  camped  for  a  day  or  two  to  wash 
their  clothes  in  a  pool  which  had  drained  from  the  meadows  above. 
The  companies  made  great  inroads  on  my  progress  by  questioning 
me  about  the  gold  region.  None  of  them  seemed  to  have  any  very 
definite  plan  in  their  heads.  It  was  curious  to  note  their  eagerness 
to  hear  "  golden  reports"  of  the  country,  every  one  of  them  be 
traying,  by  his  questioning,  the  amount  of  the  fortune  he  secretly 
expected  to  make.  u  Where  would  you  advise  me  to  go  ?"  was 
the  first  question.  I  evaded  the  responsibility  of  a  direct  answer, 
and  gave  them  the  general  report  of  the  yield  on  all  the  rivers. 
"  How  much  can  I  dig  in  a  day  ?"  This  question  was  so  absurd, 
as  I  could  know  nothing  of  the  physical  strength,  endurance  or 
geological  knowledge  of  the  emigrant,  that  I  invariably  refused  to 


THE    GILA    EMIGRANTS.  131 

make  a  random  answer,  telling  them  it  depended  entirely  on  them 
selves.  But  there  was  no  escaping  in  this  manner.  "  Well,  how 
much  do  you  think  I  can  dig  in  a  day  r"  was  sure  to  follow,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  satisfy  them  by  replying :  "  Perhaps  a  dollar's 
worth,  perhaps  five  pounds,  perhaps  nothing  !" 

They  spoke  of  meeting  great  numbers  of  Sonorians  on  their  way 
home — some  of  whom  had  attempted  to  steal  their  mules  and 
provisions.  Others,  again,  who  had  reached  the  country  quite 
destitute,  were  kindly  treated  by  them.  The  Yuma  and  Maricopas 
Indians  were  the  greatest  pests  on  the  route.  They  had  met  with 
no  difficulty  in  passing  through  the  Apache  country,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  some  little  thieving,  the  Pimos  tribes  had  proved 
friendly.  The  two  former  tribes,  however,  had  united  their  forces 
which  amounted  to  two  thousand  warriors,  and  taken  a  hostile 
sition  among  the  hills  near  the  Coioiado  crossing.  There  had 
been  several  skirmishes  between  them  and  small  bodies  of  emi 
grants,  in  which  men  were  killed  on  both  sides.  A  New  York 
Company  lost  five  of  its  members  in  this  manner.  Nearly  all  the 
persons  I  met  had  been  seven  months  on  the  way.  They  reported 
that  there  were  about  ten  thousand  persons  on  the  Grila,  not  more 
than  half  of  whom  had  yet  arrived  in  California.  Very  few  of 
the  original  companies  held  together,  most  of  them  being  too  largo 
for  convenience. 

Descending  a  long  Canada  in  the  mountains,  I  came  out  at  the 
great  Salinas  Plain.  At  an  Indian  ranche  on  the  last  slope, 
several  cart-loads  of  melons  were  heaped  beside  the  door,  and  I 
ate  two  or  three  in  company  with  a  traveler  who  rode  up,  and 
who  proved  to  be  a  spy  employed  by  Gen.  Scott  in  the  Mexican 
campaign.  He  was  a  small  man,  with  a  peculiar,  keen  gray  eye, 
and  a  physiognomy  thoroughly  adapted  for  concealing  all  that  was 


132  ELDORADO. 

passing  in  his  mind.  His  hair  was  long  and  brown,  and  hia 
beard  unshorn  ;  he  was,  in  fact,  a  genuine  though  somewhat 
diminutive  type  of  Harvey  Birch,  differing  from  him  likewise  in  a 
courteous  freedom  of  manner  which  he  had  learned  by  long  fa 
miliarity  with  Spanish  habits.  While  we  sat,  slicing  the  melons 
and  draining  their  sugary  juice,  he  told  me  a  story  of  his  capture 
by  the  Mexicans,  after  the  battles  in  the  Valley.  He  was  carried 
to  Queretaro,  tried  and  sentenced  to  be  shot,  but  succeeded  in 
bribing  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  through  whose  means  he  suc 
ceeded  in  escaping  the  night  before  the  day  of  execution.  The 
sergeant's  wife,  who  brought  his  meals  to  the  prison  in  a  basket, 
left  with  him  the  basket,  a  rebosa  and  petticoat,  in  which  he  arrayed 
himself,  after  having  shaved  off  his  long  beard,  and  passed  out  un 
noticed  by  the  guard.  A-  gcod.^rse  was  in  waiting,  and  he  never 
slacked  rein  until  he  reached  San  Juan  del  Rio,  eleven  leagues 
from  Queretaro. 

To  strike  out  on  the  plain  was  like  setting  sail  on  an  unknown 
sea.  My  companion  soon  sank  below  the  horizon,  while  I,  whose 
timbers  were  somewhat  strained,  labored  after  him.  I  had  some 
misgivings  about  the  road,  but  followed  it  some  four  or  five  miles, 
when,  on  trying  the  course  with  a  compass,  I  determined  to  leave 
it  and  take  the  open  plain.  I  made  for  a  faint  speck  far  to  the 
right,  which,  after  an  hour's  hard  walking  showed  itself  to  be  a 
deserted  ranche,  beside  an  ojo  de  agua,  or  marshy  spring.  For 
tunately,  I  struck  on  another  road,  and  perseveringly  followed  it 
till  dusk,  when  I  reached  the  ranche  of  Thomas  Blanco,  on  the 
bank  of  the  Salinas  River.  Harvey  Birch  was  standing  in  the 
door,  having  arrived  an  hour  before  me.  Tortillas  and  frijolea 
were  smoking  on  the  table — a  welcome  sight  to  a  hungry  man  ! 
Mr  Blanco,  who  treated  us  with  g  nuinc  kindness,  then  gave  us 


MONTEREY    AT    LAST.  133 

good  beds,  and  I  went  to  sleep  with  the  boom  of  the  surf  on  the 
shore  of  the  distant  bay  ringing  in  my  ears. 

Mr.  Blanco,  who  is  married  to  a  Californian  woman,  has  been 
living  here  several  years.  His  accounts  of  the  soil  and  climate 
fully  agreed  with  what  I  had  heard  from  other  residents.  There 
is  a  fine  garden  on  the  ranche,  but  during  his  absence  at  the 
placers  in  the  summer,  all  the  vegetables  were  carried  away  by  a 
band  of  Sonorians,  who  loaded  his  pack-mules  with  them  and 
drove  them  off.  They  would  even  have  forcibly  taken  his  wife 
and  her  sister  with  them,  had  not  some  of  her  relatives  fortu 
nately  arrived  in  time  to  prevent  it. 

I  was  so  lame  and  sore  the  next  morning,  that  I  was  fain  to  be 
helped  over  the  remaining  fifteen  miles  to  Monterey,  by  the  kind 
offer  of  Mr.  Shew  of  Baltimore,  who  gave  me  a  seat  in  his  wagon. 
The  road  passed  over  sand-hills,  covered  only  with  chapparal,  and 
good  for  nothing  except  as  a  shooting-ground  for  partridges  and 
hares.  The  view  of  the  town  as  you  approach,  opening  through  a 
gap  between  two  low,  piny  hills,  is  very  fine.  Though  so  far  in 
ferior  to  San  Francisco  in  size,  the  houses  were  all  substantially 
built,  and  did  not  look  as  if  they  would  fly  off  in  a  gale  of  wind. 
They  were  scattered  somewhat  loosely  over  a  gentle  slope,  behind 
which  ran  a  waving  outline  of  pine-covered  mountains.  On  the 
right  hand  appeared  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay,  with  six  or  seven 
vessels  anchored  near  the  shore.  The  American  flag  floated  gaily 
in  the  sunshine  above  the  fort  on  the  bluff  and  the  Government 
offices  in  the  town,  and  prominent  among  the  buildings  on  tho 
high  ground  stood  the  Town  Hall — a  truly  neat  and  spacious  edi 
fice  of  yellow  stone,  in  which  the  Constitutional  Convention  waa 
then  sitting. 

In  spite  of  the  additional  life  which  this  body  gave  to  the  place, 


134  ELDORADO. 

my  first  impression  was  that  of  a  deserted  town.  Few  people 
were  stirring  in  the  streets  ;  business  seemed  dull  and  stagnant ; 
and  after  hunting  half  an  hour  for  a  hotel,  I  learned  that  there 
was  none.  In  this  dilemma  I  luckily  met  my  former  fellow- 
traveler,  Major  Smith,  who  asked  me  to  spread  my  blanket  in  his 
room,  in  the  cuartel,  or  Government  barracks.  I  willingly  com 
plied,  glad  to  find  a  place  of  rest  after  a  foot-journey  which  I  de 
clared  should  be  my  last  in  California. 


CHAPTER  XIV, 

LIFE    IN    MONTEREY. 

MAJOR  SMITH,  who  was  Paymaster  for  the  stations  of  Monterey 
and  San  Diego,  had  arrived  only  a  few  days  previous,  from  the 
latter  place.  He  was  installed  in  a  spacious  room  in  the  upper 
story  of  the  cuartel,  which  by  an  impromptu  partition  of  muslin, 
was  divided  into  an  office  and  bedroom.  Two  or  three  empty 
freight-boxes,  furnished  as  a  great  favor  by  the  Quarter  Master, 
served  as  desk,  table  and  wash-stand.  There  were  just  three 
chairs  for  the  Major,  his  brother  and  myself,  so  that  when  we  had 
a  visit,  one  of  us  took  his  seat  on  a  box.  The  only  bedding  I 
brought  from  San  Francisco  was  a  sarape,  which  was  insufficient, 
but  with  some  persuasion  we  obtained  a  soldier's  pallet  and  an 
armful  of  straw,  out  of  which  we  made  a  comfortable  bed.  We 
were  readily  initiated  into  the  household  mysteries  of  sweeping, 
dusting,  etc.,  and  after  a  few  days'  practice  felt  competent  to  take 
charge  of  a  much  larger  establishment. 

I  took  my  meals  at  the  Fonda  de  la  Union,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street.  It  was  an  old,  smoky  place  not  uncomfortably 
clean,  with  a  billiard-room  and  two  small  rooms  adjoiniig,  where 
the  owner,  a  sallow  Mexican,  with  his  Indian  cook  and  muchacho, 
entertained  his  customers.  The  place  was  frequented  by  a  num 


136  ELDORADO. 

her  of  the  members  and  clerks  of  the  Convention,  by  all  rambling 
Americans  or  Californians  who  happened  to  be  in  Monterey,  and 
occasionally  a  seaman  or  two  from  the  ships  in  the  harbor.  The 
charges  were  usually  $1  per  meal ;  for  which  we  were  furnished 
with  an  olla  of  boiled  beef,  cucumbers  and  corn,  an  asado  of  beef 
and  red-pepper,  a  guisado  of  beef  and  potatoes,  and  two  or  three 
cups  of  execrable  coffee.  At  the  time  of  my  arrival  this  was  the 
only  restaurant  in  the  place,  and  reaped  such  a  harvest  of  pesos, 
that  others  were  not  long  in  starting  up. 

There  was  one  subject,  which  at  the  outset  occasioned  us  many 
sleepless  nights.  In  vain  did  we  attempt  to  forego  the  contempla 
tion  of  it ;  as  often  as  we  lay  down  on  our  pallets,  the  thought 
would  come  uncalled,  and  very  soon  we  were  writhing  under  its 
attacks  as  restlessly  as  Richard  on  his  ghost-haunted  couch.  It 
was  no  imaginary  disturbance  ;  it  assailed  us  on  all  sides,  and 
without  cessation.  It  was  an  annoyance  by  no  means  peculiar  to 
California  ;  it  haunts  the  temples  of  the  Incas  and  the  halls  of  the 
Montezumas ;  I  have  felt  it  come  upon  me  in  the  Pantheon  of 
Rome,  and  many  a  traveler  has  bewailed  its  visitation  while  sleep 
ing  in  the  shadow  of  the  Pyramid.  Nothing  is  inpre  positively 
real  to  the  feelings,  nothing  more  elusive  and  intangible  to  the 
search.  You  look  upon  the  point  of  its  attack,  and  you  see  it  not , 
you  put  your  finger  on  it,  and  it  is  not  there  ! 

We  tried  all  the  means  in  our  power  to  procure  a  good  night's 
rest.  We  swept  out  the  room,  shook  out  the  blankets  and  tucked 
ourselves  in  so  skillfully  that  we  thought  no  flea  could  effect  an 
entrance — but  in  vain.  At  last,  after  four  nights  of  waking  tor 
ment,  I  determined  to  give  up  the  attempt ;  I  had  become  so  ner 
vous  by  repeated  failures  that  the  thought  of  it  alone  would  have 
prevented  sloop.  At  bed-time,  therefore,  I  took  my  blankets, 


THE    FLEAS    OUTWITTED.  137 

and  went  up  into  the  pine  woods  behind  the  town.  I  chose  a 
warm  corner  between  some  bushes  and  a  fallen  log ;  the  air  was 
misty  and  chill  and  the  moon  clouded  over,  but  I  lay  sheltered 
and  comfortable  on  my  pillow  of  dry  sticks.  Occasionally  a  par 
tridge  would  stir  in  the  bushes  by  my  head  or  a  squirrel  rustle 
among  the  dead  leaves,  while  far  back  in  the  gloomy  shadows  of 
the  forest  the  coyotes  kept  up  an  endless  howl.  I  slept  but  in 
differently,  for  two  or  three  fleas  had  escaped  the  blanket-shak 
ing,  and  did  biting  enough  for  fifty. 

After  many  trials,  I  finally  nonplussed  them  in  spite  of  all  their 
cunning.  There  is  a  thick  green  shrub  in  the  forest,  whose  power 
ful  balsamic  odor  is  too  much  for  them.  After  sweeping  the 
floor  and  sprinkling  it  with  water,  I  put  down  my  bed,  previously 
well  shaken,  and  surrounded  it  with  a  chevaux-de-frise  of  this 
shrub,  wide  enough  to  prevent  their  overleaping  it.  Thus  moated 
and  palisaded  from  the  foe,  I  took  my  rest  unbroken,  to  his  utter 
discomfiture. 

Every  day  that  I  spent  in  Monterey,  I  found  additional  cause 
to  recede  from  my  first  impression  of  the  dullness  of  the  place. 
Quiet  it  certainly  is,  to  one  coming  from  San  Francisco  ;  but  it 
is  only  dull  in  the  sense  that  Nice  and  Pisa  are  dull  cities.  The 
bustle  of  trade  is  wanting,  but  to  one  not  bent  on  gold-hunting,  a 
delicious  climate,  beautiful  scenery,  and  pleasant  society  are  a 
full  compensation.  Those  who  stay  there  for  any  length  of  time, 
love  the  place  before  they  leave  it — which  would  scarcely  be  said 
of  San  Francisco. 

The  situation  of  Monterey  is  admirable.  The  houses  are  built 
on  a  broad,  gentle  slope  of  land,  alout  two  miles  from  Point 
Pinos,  the  southern  extremity  of  the  bay.  They  are  scattered 
over  an  extent  of  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  leaving  ample  room 


138  ELDORADO. 

for  the  growth  of  the  town  for  many  years  to  come.  The  outline 
of  the  hills  in  the  rear  is  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  Staten 
Island,  but  they  increase  in  height  as  they  run  to  the  south-east, 
till  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  they  are  merged  in  the  high 
mountains  of  the  Coast  Range.  The  northern  shore  of  the  bay  is 
twenty  miles  distant,  curving  so  far  to  the  west,  that  the  Pacific 
is  not  visible  from  any  part  of  the  town.  Eastward,  a  high,  rocky 
ridge,  called  the  Toro  Mountains,  makes  a  prominent  object  in 
the  view,  and  when  the  air  is  clear  the  Sierra  de  Gavilan,  beyond 
the  Salinas  plains,  is  distinctly  visible. 

During  my  visit  the  climate  was  mild  and  balmy  beyond  that 
of  the  same  season  in  Italy.  The  temperature  was  that  of  mid- 
May  at  home,  the  sky  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  without  a 
cloud,  and  the  winds  as  pleasant  as  if  tempered  exactly  to  the 
warmth  of  the  blood.  A  thermometer  hanging  in  my  room  only 
varied  between  52°  and  54°,  which  was  about  10°  lower  than  the 
air  without.  The  siroccos  of  San  Francisco  are  unknown  in 
Monterey;  the  mornings  are  frequently  foggy,  but  it  always 
clears  about  ten  o'clock,  and  remains  so  till  near  sunset.  The 
sky  at  noonday  is  a  pure,  soft  blue. 

The  harbor  of  Monterey  is  equal  to  any  in  California.  The 
bight  in  which  vessels  anchor  is  entirely  protected  from  the  north 
westers  by  Sea-Gull  Point,  and  from  the  south-eastern  winds  by 
mountains  in  the  rear.  In  the  absence  of  light-houses,  the  dense 
fog  renders  navigation  dangerous  on  this  coast,  and  in  spite  of  an 
entrance  twenty-five  miles  in  breath,  vessels  frequently  run  below 
Point  Pinos,  and  are  obliged  to  anchor  on  unsafe  ground  in  Car- 
mel  Bay.  A  road  leads  from  the  town  over  the  hills  to  the  ex- 
Mission  of  C  arm  el,  situated  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  about  four 
miles  distant.  Just  beyond  it  is  Point  Lobos,  a  promontory  on 


THE    GROWTH    OF    MONTEREY.  139 

the  coast ,  famous  for  the  number  of  seals  and  sea-lioiis  •which 
congregate  there  at  low  tide.  A  light-house  on  Point  Pinos  and 
another  on  Point  Lobos  would  be  a  sufficient  protection  to  naviga 
tion  for  the  present,  and  I  understand  that  the  agents  of  the  Gov 
ernment  have  recommended  their  erection. 

The  trade  of  Monterey  is  rapidly  on  the  increase.  During  my 
stay  of  five  weeks,  several  houses  were  built,  half  a  dozen  stores 
opened  and  four  hotels  established,  one  of  which  was  kept  by  a 
Chinaman.  There  were  at  least  ten  arrivals  and  departures  of 
vessels,  exclusive  of  the  steamers,  within  that  time,  and  I  was 
credibly  informed  that  the  Collector  of  the  Port  had,  during  the 
previous  five  months,  received  about  $150,000  in  duties.  Pro 
visions  of  all  kinds  are  cheaper  than  at  San  Francisco,  but 
merchandize  brings  higher  prices.  At  the  Washington  House, 
kept  by  a  former  private  in  Col.  Stevenson's  regiment,  I  obtained 
excellent  board  at  $12  per  week.  The  building,  which  belongs 
to  an  Italian  named  Alberto  Tusconi,  rented  for  $1,200  monthly. 
Rents  of  all  kinds  were  high,  $200  a  month  having  been  paid  for 
rooms  during  the  session  of  the  Convention.  Here,  as  in  San 
Francisco,  there  are  many  striking  instances  of  sudden  prosperity 
Mr.  Tusconi,  whom  I  have  just  mentioned,  came  out  five  years 
before,  as  a  worker  in  tin.  He  was  without  money,  but  obtained 
the  loan  of  some  sheets  of  tin,  which  he  manufactured  into  cups 
and  sold.  From  this  beginning  he  had  amassed  a  fortune  of 
$50,000,  and  was  rapidly  adding  to  his  gains. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  speculation  in  lots,  and  many  of  the 
sales,  though  far  short  of  the  extravagant  standard  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  were  still  sufficiently  high.  A  lot  seventy-five  feet  by 
twenty-five,  with  a  small  frame  store  upon  it,  was  sold  for  $5,000. 
A  one-story  house,  with  a  lot  about  fifty  by  seventy-five  feet,  in 


140  ELDORADO. 

the  outskirts  of  the  town,  was  held  at  $6,000.  This  was  about 
the  average  rate  of  property,  and  told  well  for  a  town  which  a 
year  previous  was  deserted,  and  which,  only  six  months  before, 
contained  no  accommodations  of  any  kind  for  the  traveler. 

There  is  another  circumstance  which  will  greatly  increase  the 
commercial  importance  of  Monterey.  The  discoveries  of  gold 
mines  and  placers  on  the  Mariposa,  and  the  knowledge  that  gold 
exists  in  large  quantities  on  the  Lake  Fork,  King's  River  and  the 
Pitiuna — streams  which  empty  into  the  Tulare  Lakes  on  their 
eastern  side — will  hereafter  attract  a  large  portion  of  the  mining 
population  into  that  region.  Hitherto,  the  hostility  of  the  Indians 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  the  richness  of 
more  convenient  localities,  have  hindered  the  gold  diggers  from 
going  beyond  the  Mariposa.  The  distance  of  these  rivers  from 
San  Francisco,  and  the  great  expense  of  transporting  supplies  tc 
the  new  mining  district,  will  naturally  direct  a  portion  of  the  im 
porting  trade  to  some  more  convenient  seaport.  Monterey,  with 
the  best  anchorage  on  the  coast,  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  nearer  the  Tulare  Lakes.  By  bridging  a  few  arroyos,  an 
excellent  wagon  road  can  be  made  through  a  pass  in  the  Coast 
Range,  into  the  valley  of  San  Joaquin,  opening  a  direct  communi 
cation  with  the  southern  placers. 

The  removal  of  the  Seat  of  Government  to  the  Pueblo  San 
"Jose,  will  not  greatly  affect  the  consequence  of  the  place.  The 
advantages  it  has  lost,  are,  at  most,  a  slight  increase  of  popula 
tion,  and  the  custom  of  the  Legislature  during  its  session.  This 
will  be  made  up  in  a  different  way  ;  a  large  proportion  of  the 
mining  population,  now  in  the  mountains,  will  come  down  to  the 
coast  to  winter  and  recruit  themselves  after  the  hardships  of  the 
Fall  digging.  Of  these,  Monterey  will  attract  the  greater  portion, 


DOMESTIC    LIFE    AND    SOCIETY.  141 

as  well  from  the  salubrity  of  its  climate  as  the  comparative  cheap 
ness  of  living.  The  same  advantages  will  cause  it  to  be  preferred, 
hereafter,  as  the  residence  of  those  who  have  retired  from  their 
golden  labors.  The  pine-crowned  slopes  back  of  the  town  con 
tain  many  sites  of  unsurpassed  beauty  for  private  residences. 

With  the  exception  of  Los  Angeles,  Monterey  contains  the 
most  pleasant  society  to  be  found  in  California.  There  is  a  circle 
of  families,  American  and  native,  residing  there,  whose  genial  and 
refined  social  character  makes  one  forget  his  previous  ideas  of 
California  life.  In  spite  of  the  lack  of  cultivation,  except  such 
instruction  as  the  priests  were  competent  to  give,  the  native  popu 
lation  possesses  a  natural  refinement  of  manner  which  would  grace 
the  most  polished  society.  They  acknowledge  their  want  of  edu 
cation  ;  they  tell  you  they  grow  as  the  trees,  with  the  form  and 
character  that  Nature  gives  them  ;  but  even  uncultured  Nature 
in  California  wears  all  the  ripeness  and  maturity  of  older  lands.  I 
have  passed  many  agreeable  hours  in  the  houses  of  the  native 
families.  The  most  favorite  resort  of  Americans  is  that  of  Dona 
Augusta  Xinieno,  the  sister  of  Don  Pablo  de  la  Guerra.  This 
lady,  whose  active  charity  in  aiding  the  sick  and  distressed  has 
won  her  the  enduring  gratitude  of  many  and  the  esteem  of  all,  has 
made  her  house  the  home  of  every  American  officer  who  visits 
Monterey.  With  a  rare  liberality,  she  has  given  up  a  great  part 
of  it  to  their  use,  when  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  procure  quar 
ters,  and  they  have  always  been  welcome  guests  at  her  table.  She 
is  a  woman  whose  nobility  of  character,  native  vigor  and  activity  of 
intellect,  and  above  all,  whose  instinctive  refinement  and  winning 
grace  of  manner,  would  have  given  her  a  complete  supremacy  in 
society,  had  her  lot  been  cast  in  Europe  or  the  United  States. 
During  the  session  of  the  Convention,  her  l^ouso  was  the  favorite 


142  ELDORADO. 

resort  of  all  the  leading  members,  both  American  and  Califor- 
nian.  She  was  thoroughly  versed  in  Spanish  literature,  as  well  as 
the  works  of  Scott  and  Cooper,  through  translations,  and  I  have 
frequently  been  surprised  at  the  justness  and  elegance  of  her  re 
marks  on  various  authors.  She  possessed,  moreover,  all  those 
bold  and  daring  qualities  which  are  so  fascinating  in  a  woman, 
when  softened  and  made  graceful  by  true  feminine  delicacy.  She 
was  a  splendid  horsewoman,  and  had  even  considerable  skill  in 
throwing  the  lariat. 

The  houses  of  Senor  Soveranez  and  Seflor  Abrego  were  also 
much  visited  by  Americans.  The  former  gentleman  served  as  a 
Captain  in  Mexico  during  the  war,  but  since  then  has  subsided  into 
a  good  American  citizen.  Senor  Abrego,  who  is  of  Mexican  origin, 
was  the  most  industrious  Californian  I  saw  in  the  country.  Within 
a  few  years  he  had  amassed  a  large  fortune,  which  was  in  no  danger 
of  decreasing.  I  attended  an  evening  party  at  his  house,  which 
was  as  lively  and  agreeable  as  any  occasion  of  the  kind  well  could 
be.  There  was  a  tolerable  piano  in  his  little  parlor,  on  which  a 
lady  from  Sydney,  Australia,  played  "  Non  piu  mesta"  with  a  good 
deal  of  taste.  Two  American  gentlemen  gave  us  a  few  choice  flute 
duetts,  and  the  entertainment  closed  by  a  quadrille  and  polka,  in 
which  a  little  son  of  Senor  Abrego  figured,  to  the  general  admira 
tion. 

The  old  and  tranquil  look  of  Monterey,  before  the  discovery  ot 
the  placers,  must  have  seemed  remarkable  to  visitors  from  the 
Atlantic  side  of  the  Continent.  The  serene  beauty  of  the  climate 
and  soft,  vaporous  atmosphere,  have  nothing  in  common  with  one's 
ideas  of  a  new,  scarce-colonized  coast ;  the  animals,  even,  are  those 
of  the  old,  civilized  countries  of  Europe.  Flocks  of  ravens  croak 
from  the  tiled  roofs,  and  cluster  on  the  long  adobe  walls  ;  magpies 


QUIET     OF    THE    TOWN POPULATION  .  143 

chatter  in  the  clumps  of  gnarled  oak  on  the  hills,  and  as  you  pass 
through  the  forest,  hares  start  up  from  their  coverts  under  the 
bearded  pines.  The  quantity  of  blackbirds  about  the  place  is  as 
tonishing  ;  in  the  mornings  they  wheel  in  squadrons  about  every 
house-top,  and  fill  the  air  with  their  twitter. 
.  But  for  the  interest  occasioned  by  the  Convention,  and  the  social 
impulse  given  to  Monterey  by  the  presence  of  its  members,  the 
town  would  hardly  have  furnished  an  incident  marked  enough  to 
be  remembered.  Occasionally  there  was  an  arrival  at  the  anchor 
age — generally  from  San  Francisco,  San  Diego  or  Australia — . 
which  furnished  talk  for  a  day  or  two.  Then  some  resident  would 
give  a  fandango,  which  the  whole  town  attended,  or  the  Alcalde 
would  decree  a  general  horn-lurning.  This  was  nothing  less  than 
the  collecting  of  all  the  horns  and  heads  of  slaughtered  animals, 
scattered  about  the  streets,  into  large  piles,  which  burned  through 
half  the  night,  filling  the  air  with  a  most  unpleasant  odor.  When 
the  atmosphere  happened  to  be  a  little  misty,  the  red  light  of  these 
fires  was  thrown  far  up  along  the  hills. 

I  learned  some  very  interesting  facts  during  my  stay,  relative  to 
the  products  of  California.  Wisconsin  has  always  boasted  of  rais 
ing  the  largest  crops  of  talking  humanity,  but  she  will  have  to 
yield  the  palm  to  the  new  Pacific  State,  where  the  increase  of 
population  is  entirely  without  precedent.  A  native  was  pointed 
out  to  me  one  day  as  the  father  of  thirty-six  children,  twenty  of 
whom  were  the  product  of  his  first  marriage,  and  sixteen  of  his 
last.  Mr.  Hartnell,  the  Government  translator,  has  a  family  of 
twenty-one  children.  Sefior  Abrego,  who  had  been  married  twelve 
years,  already  counted  as  many  heirs.  Several  other  couples  in 
the  place  had  from  twelve  to  eighteen  ;  and  the  former  number,  I 
was  told,  is  the  usual  size  of  a  family  in  California.  Whether  or 


144  ELDORADO 

not  this  remarkable  fecundity  is  attributable  to  the  climate,  I  am 
unable  to  tell. 

The  Californians,  as  a  race,  are  vastly  superior  to  the  Mexicans. 
They  have  larger  frames,  stronger  muscle,  and  a  fresh,  ruddy  com 
plexion,  entirely  different  from  the  sallow  skins  of  the  tierra  ca- 
liente  or  the  swarthy  features  of  those  Bedouins  of  the  West,  the 
Sonorians.  The  families  of  pure  Castilian  blood  resemble  in  fea 
tures  and  build,  the  descendants  of  the  Valencians  in  Chili  and 
Mexico,  whose  original  physical  superiority  over  the  natives  of  the 
other  provinces  of  Spain,  has  not  been  obliterated  by  two  hundred 
years  of  transplanting.  Senor  Soveranez  informed  me  that  the 
Californian  soldiers,  on  account  of  this  physical  distinction,  were 
nicknamed  "  Americanos"  by  the  Mexicans.  They  have  no  na 
tional  feeling  in  common  with  the  latter,  and  will  never  forgive 
the  cowardly  deportment  of  the  Sonorians  toward  them,  during  the 
recent  war.  Their  superior  valor,  as  soldiers,  was  amply  expe 
rienced  by  our  own  troops,  at  the  battle  of  San  Pasquale. 

I  do  not  believe,  however,  that  the  majority  of  the  native  popu 
lation  rejoices  at  the  national  change  which  has  come  over  the 
country.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  much  jealousy  and  bitter  feel 
ing  among  the  uneducated  classes.  The  vast  tides  of  emigration 
from  the  Atlantic  States  thrice  outnumbered  them  in  a  single  year, 
and  consequently  placed  them  forever  in  a  hopeless  minority. 
They  witnessed  the  immediate  extinction  of  their  own  political 
importance,  and  the  introduction  of  a  new  language,  new  customs, 
and  new  laws  It  is  not  strange  that  many  of  them  should  be  op 
posed  to  us  at  heart,  even  while  growing  wealthy  and  prosperous 
under  the  marvellous  change  which  has  been  wrought  by  the  en 
terprise  of  our  citizens.  Nevertheless,  we  have  many  warm  friends, 
and  the  United  States  many  faithful  subjects,  among  them.  The 


NATIONAL    FEELING    IN    CALIFi.  RNIA.  145 

intelligent  and  influential  faction  which  aided  us  during  the  war, 
is  still  faithful,  and  many  who  were  previously  discontented,  are 
now  loudest  in  their  rejoicing.  Our  authorities  have  acted  toward 
them  with  constant  and  impartial  kindness.  By  pursuing  a  similar 
course,  the  future  government  of  the  State  will  soon  obliterate  the 
differences  of  race  and  condition,  and  all  will  then  be  equally  Cal- 
ifornian  and  American  citizens 


VOL.    I. 


CHAPTER  XV, 

THE    ST^TE    ORGANIZATION    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

IN  some  respects,  the  political  history  of  California  for  the  year 
1849,  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  any  nation.  The 
events  are  too  recent  for  us  to  see  them  in  the  clear,  defined  out 
lines  they  will  exhibit  to  posterity ;  we  can  only  describe  them  as 
they  occurred,  throwing  the  strongest  light  on  those  points  which 
now  appear  most  prominent. 

The  discovery  of  the  Gold  Region  of  California  occurred  in  little 
more  than  a  month  after  the  Treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  by 
which  the  country  was  ceded  to  the  United  States.  Congress 
having  adjourned  without  making  provision  for  any  kind  of  civil 
organization,  the  Military  Government  established  during  the  war 
continued  in  force,  in  conjunction  with  the  local  laws  in  force  under 
the  Mexican  rule — a  most  incongruous  state  of  things,  which  gave 
rise  to  innumerable  embarrassments.  Meanwhile,  the  results  of 
the  gold  discovery  produced  a  complete  revolution  in  society,  up 
turning  all  branches  of  trade,  industry  or  office,  and  for  a  time 
completely  annulling  the  Government.  Mexico  and  the  South 
American  republics  sent  their  thousands  of  adventurers  into  the 
country  like  a  flood,  far  outnumbering  the  native  population. 
During  the  winter  of  1848-9,  the  state  of  affairs  was  most  critical : 


STEPS    TOWARD    ORGANIZATION.  147 

the  American  and  foreign  miners  were  embittered  against  each 
other  ;  the  authorities  were  without  power  to  enforce  their  orders, 
and  there  seemed  no  check  to  restrain  the  free  exercise  of  all  law 
less  passions.  There  was  a  check,  however — the  steady  integrity 
and  inborn  capacity  for  creating  and  upholding  Law,  of  a  portion 
of  the  old  American  settlers  and  emigrants  newly  arrived.  A 
single  spark  of  Order  will  in  time  irradiate  and  warm  into  shape  a 
world  of  disorderly  influences. 

In  the  neglect  of  Congress  to  provide  for  the  establishment  of 
a  Territorial  Government,  it  was  at  first  suggested  that  the  People 
should  provisionally  organize  such  a  Government  among  themselves. 
Various  proposals  were  made,  but  before  any  decisive  action  was 
had  on  the  subject,  another  and  more  appropriate  form  was  given 
to  the  movement,  chiefly  through  the  labor  and  influence  of  a  few 
individuals,  who  were  countenanced  by  the  existing  authorities. 
This  was,  to  call  a  Convention  for  the  purpose  of  drafting  a  State 
Constitution,  that  California  might  at  once  be  admitted  into  the 
Union,  without  passing  through  the  usual  Territorial  stage — leap 
ing  with  one  bound,  as  it  were,  from  a  state  of  semi-civilization  to 
be  the  Thirty-First  Sovereign  Republic  of  the  American  Confede 
racy.  The  vast  influx  of  emigration  had  already  increased  the 
population  beyond  the  required  number,  and  the  unparalleled  speed 
with  which  Labor  and  Commerce  were  advancing  warranted  such 
a  course,  no  less  t&'an  the  important  natural  resources  of  the 
country  itself.  The  result  of  this  movement  was  a  proclamation 
from  Gov.  Kiley,  recommending  that  an  election  of  Delegates  to 
form  such  a  Convention  be  held  on  the  first  of  August,  1849. 

Gen.  Riley,  the  Civil  Governor  appointed  by  the  United  States, 
Gen.  Smith,  and  Mr.  T.  Butler  King;  during  a  tour  through  the 
mining  districts  in  the  early  part  of  summer,  took  every  occasiou 


148  ELDORADO. 

to  interest  the  people  in  the  subject,  and  stimulate  them  to  hold 
preparatory  meetings.  The  possibility  of  calling  together  and 
keeping  together  a  body  of  men,  many  of  whom  must  necessarily 
be  deeply  involved  in  business  and  speculation,  was  at  first  strongly 
doubted.  In  fact,  in  some  of  the  districts  named  in  the  procla 
mation,  scarcely  any  move  was  made  till  a  few  days  before  the  day 
of  election.  It  was  only  necessary,  however,  to  kindle  the  flame  ; 
the  intelligence  and  liberal  public  spirit  existing  throughout  the 
country,  kept  it  alive,  and  the  election  passed  over  with  complete 
success.  In  one  or  two  instances  it  was  not  held  on  the  day  ap 
pointed,  but  the  Convention  nevertheless  admitted  the  delegates 
elected  in  such  cases. 

Party  politics  had  but  a  small  part  to  play  in  ths  choice  of  can 
didates.  In  the  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento  districts  there 
might  have  been  some  influences  of  this  kind  afloat,  and  other  dis 
tricts  undoubtedly  sent  members  to  advocate  some  particular 
local  interest.  But,  taken  as  a  body,  the  delegates  did  honor  to 
California,  and  would  not  suffer  by  comparison  with  any  first  State 
Convention  ever  held  in  our  Republic.  I  may  add,  also,  that  a 
perfect  harmony  of  feeling  existed  betwean  the  citizens  of  both 
races.  The  proportion  of  native  Californian  members  to  the 
American  was  about  equal  to  that  of  the  population.  Some  of  the 
former  received  nearly  the  entire  American  vote — Glen.  Vallejo 
at  Sonoma,  Antonio  Pico  at  San  Jose,  and  Miguel  de  Pedrorena 
at  San  Diego,  for  instance. 

The  elections  were  all  over,  at  the  time  of  my  arrival  in  Cali 
fornia,  and  the  1st  of  September  had  been  appointed,  as  the  day  on 
which  the  Convention  should  meet.  It  was  my  intention  to  have 
been  present  at  that  time,  but  I  did  not  succeed  in  reaching  Monte 
rey  until  the  19th  of  the  month.  The  Convention  was  rot  regularly 


THE    CONVENTION    MEETS.  149 

organized  until  the  4th,  when  Dr.  Robert  Semple,  of  the  Sonoma 
District,  was  chosen  President  and  conducted  to  his  seat  by 
Capt.  Sutter  and  Gen.  Yallejo.  Capt.  William  G-.  Marcy,  of  the 
New-York  Volunteer  Regiment,  was  elected  Secretary,  after 
which  the  various  post  of  Clerks,  Assistant  Secretaries,  Transla 
tors,  Doorkeeper,  Sergeant-at-Arms,  etc.,  were  filled.  The  day 
after  their  complete  organization,  the  officers  and  members  of  the 
Convention  were  sworn  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States.  The  members  from  the  Southern  Districts  were  instruct 
ed  to  vote  in  favor  of  a  Territorial  form  of  Government,  but  ex 
pressed  their  willingness  to  abide  the  decision  of  the  Convention. 
An  invitation  was  extended  to  the  Clergy  of  Monterey  to  open 
the  meeting  with  prayer,  and  that  office  was  thenceforth  performed 
on  alternate  days  by  Padre  Ramirez  and  Rev.  S.  H.  Willey. 

The  building  in  which  the  Convention  met  was  probably  the 
only  one  in  California  suited  to  the  purpose.  It  is  a  handsome, 
two-story  edifice  of  yellow  sandstone,  situated  on  a  gentle  slope, 
above  the  town.  It  is  named  "  Colton  Hall,"  on  account  of  its 
having  been  built  by  Don  Walter  Colton,  former  Alcalde  of  Mon 
terey,  from  the  proceeds  of  a  sale  of  city  lots.  The  stone  of 
which  it  is  built  is  found  in  abundance  near  Monterey ;  it  is  of  a 
fine,  mellow  color,  easily  cut,  and  will  last  for  centuries  in  that 
mild  climate.  The  upper  story,  in  which  the  Convention  sat, 
formed  a  single  hall  about  sixty  feet  in  length  by  twenty-five  in 
breadth.  A  railing,  running  across  the  middle,  divided  the  mem 
bers  from  the  spectators.  The  former  were  seated  at  four  long 
tables,  the  President  occupying  a  rostrum  at  the  further  end, 
over  which  were  suspended  two  American  flags  and  an  extraordi 
nary  picture  of  Washington,  evidently  the  work  of  a  native  artist. 
The  appearance  of  the  whole  body  was  excacdmgly  dignified  and 


150  ELDORADO. 

intellectual,  and  parliamentary  decorum  was  strictly  observed. 
A  door  in  the  centre  of  the  hall  opened  on  a  square  balcony,  sup 
ported  by  four  pillars,  where  some  of  the  members,  weary  with 
debate,  came  frequently  to  enjoy  the  mild  September  afternoon, 
whose  hues  lay  so  softly  on  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay. 

The  Declaration  of  Rights,  which  was  the  first  subject  before 
the  Convention,  occasioned  little  discussion.  Its  sections  being 
general  in  their  character  and  of  a  liberal  republican  cast,  were 
nearly  all  adopted  by  a  nearly  unanimous  vote.  The  clause  pro 
hibiting  Slavery  was  met  by  no  word  of  dissent ;  it  was  the  uni 
versal  sentiment  of  the  Convention.  It  is  unnecessary  to  reca 
pitulate  here  the  various  provisions  of  the  Constitution  ;  it  will  be 
enough  to  say  that  they  combined,  with  few  exceptions,  the  most 
enlightened  features  of  the  Constitutions  of  older  States.  The 
election  of  Judges  by  the  people — the  rights  of  married  women  to 
property — the  establishment  of  a  liberal  system  of  education — and 
other  reforms  of  late  introduced  into  the  State  Governments  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  were  all  transplanted  to  the  new  soil  of 
the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  adoption  of  a  system  of  pay  for  the  officers  and  members 
of  the  Convention,  occasioned  some  discussion.  The  Californian 
members  and  a  few  of  the  Americans  patriotically  demanded  that 
the  Convention  should  work  for  nothing,  the  glory  being  sufficient. 
The  majority  overruled  this,  and  finally  decided  that  the  mem 
bers  should  receive  $16  per  day,  the  President  $25,  the  Secre 
tary  and  Interpreter  $28,  the  Clerks  $23  and  $18,  the  Chaplain 
$16,  the  Sergeant-at-Arms  $22  and  the  Doorkeeper  $12.  The 
expenses  of  the  Convention  were  paid  out  of  the  "  Civil  Fund," 
an  accumulation  of  the  duties  received  at  the  ports.  The  funds 
were  principally  silver,  and  at  the  close  of  their  labors  it  was 


THE    QUESTION    OF    SUFFRAGE.  151 

am  using  to  see  the  members  carrying  their  pay  about  town  tied 
up  in  handkerchiefs  or  slung  in  bags  over  their  shoulders.  The 
little  Irish  boy,  who  acted  as  page,  was  nearly  pressed  down  by 
the  weight  of  his  wages. 

One  of  the  first  exciting  questions  was  a  clause  which  had  been 
crammed  through  the  Convention  on  its  first  reading,  prohibiting 
the  entrance  of  free  people  of  color  into  the  state.  Its  originator 
was  an  Oregon  man,  more  accustomed  to  and  better  fitted  for 
squatter  life  than  the  dignity  of  legislation.  The  members,  by 
the  time  it  was  brought  up  for  second  reading,  had  thought  more 
seriously  upon  the  question,  and  the  clause  was  rejected  by  a  large 
majority :  several  attempts  to  introduce  it  in  a  modified  form  also 
signally  failed. 

It  was  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  question  of  suffrage  could  not 
have  been  settled  in  an  equitable  and  satisfactory  manner.  The 
article  first  adopted  by  the  Convention,  excluding  Indians  and 
Negroes,  with  their  descendants,  from  the  privilege  of  voting,  was, 
indeed,  modified  by  a  proviso  offered  by  Mr.  de  la  Guerra,  which 
gave  the  Legislature  the  power  of  admitting  Indians  or  the  de 
scendants  of  Indians,  by  a  two-thirds  concurrent  vote,  to  the 
right  of  suffrage.  This  was  agreed  to  by  many  merely  for  the 
purpose  of  settling  the  question  for  the  present ;  but  the  native 
members  will  not  be  content  to  let  it  rest.  Many  of  the  most 
wealthy  and  respectable  families  in  California  have  Indian  blood 
in  their  veins,  and  even  a  member  of  the  Convention,  Domingucz, 
would  be  excluded  from  voting  under  this  very  clause. 

The  Articles  of  the  Constitution  relating  to  the  Executive,  Ju 
dicial  and  Legislative  Departments  occupied  several  days,  but  the 
debates  were  dry  and  uninteresting.  A  great  deal  of  talk  was  ex 
pended  to  no  purpose,  several  of  the  members  having  the  same 


152  ELDORADO. 

morbid  ambition  in  this  respect,  as  may  be  found  in  our  legisla 
tive  assemblies  on  this  side  of  the  mountains.  A  member  from 
Sacramento  severely  tried  the  patience  of  the  Convention  by  his 
long  harangues  ;  another  was  clamorous,  not  for  his  own  rights  but 
those  of  his  constituents,  although  the  latter  were  suspected  of 
being  citizens  of  Oregon.  The  Chair  occasionally  made  a  bung 
ling  decision,  whereupon  two  of  the  members,  who  had  previously 
served  in  State  Assemblies,  would  aver  that  in  the  whole  course 
of  their  legislative  experience  they  had  never  heard  of  such  a 
thing.  Now  and  then  a  scene  occurred,  which  was  amusing 
enough.  A  section  being  before  the  Convention,  declaring  that 
every  citizen  arrested  for  a  criminal  offence  should  be  tried  by  a 
jury  of  his  peers,  a  member,  unfamiliar  with  such  technical  terms, 
moved  to  strike  out  the  word  "  peers."  "  I  don't  like  that  word 
'  peers,'  "  said  he  ;  "it  a'int  republican  ;  I'd  like  to  know  what 
we  want  with  peers  in  this  country — we're  not  a  monarchy,  and 
we've  got  no  House  of  Parliament.  I  vote  for  no  such  law." 

The  boundary  question,,  however,  which  came  up  towards  the 
close  of  the  Convention,  assumed  a  character  of  real  interest  and 
importance.  The  great  point  of  dispute  on  this  question  was  the 
eastern  limit  of  the  State,  the  Pacific  being  the  natural  boundary 
on  the  West,  the  meridian  of  42°  on  the  North,  and  the  Mexi 
can  line,  run  in  conformity  with  the  treaty  of  Queretaro,  on 
the  South.  Mr.  Hastings,  a  member  from  Sacramento,  moved 
that  the  eastern  boundary,  beginning  at  the  parallel  of  42°,  should 
follow  the  meridian  of  118°  W.  long,  to  38°  N.  thence  running 
direct  to  the  intersection  of  the  Colorado  with  114°  W.  following 
that  river  to  the  Mexican  line.  This  was  proposed  late  on  Mon 
day  night,  and  hurried  through  by  a  bare  majority.  Messrs. 
Gwin  and  Halleck,  of  the  Boundary  Committee,  with  all  the  Cali- 


TROUBLE  ABOUT  THE  BOUNDARY.  153 

fornian  members,  and  some  others,  opposed  this  proposition, 
claiming  that  the  original  Spanish  boundary,  extending  to  the  line 
of  New  Mexico,  should  be  adopted.  With  some  difficulty  a  re 
consideration  of  the  vote  was  obtained,  and  the  House  adjourned 
without  settling  the  question. 

The  discussion  commenced  in  earnest  the  next  morning.  The 
members  were  all  present,  and  as  the  parties  were  nearly  balanced 
the  contest  was  very  animated  and  excited.  It  assumed,  in  fact, 
more  of  a  party  character  than  any  which  had  previously  come  up. 
The  grounds  taken  by  the  party  desiring  the  whole  territory  were 
that  the  Convention  had  no  right  to  assume  another  boundary 
than  that  originally  belonging  to  California ;  that  the  measure 
would  extend  the  advantages  and  protecting  power  of  law  over  a 
vast  inland  territory,  which  would  otherwise  remain  destitute  of 
such  protection  for  many  years  to  come ;  that,  finally,  it  would 
settle  the  question  of  Slavery  for  a  much  greater  extent  of  terri 
tory,  and  in  a  quiet  and  peaceful  manner.  The  opposite  party — 
that  which  advocates  the  Sierra  Nevada  as  the  boundary  line — 
contended  that  the  Constitution  had  no  right  to  include  the  Mor 
mon  settlers  in  the  Great  Salt  Lake  country  in  a  State,  whose 
Constitution  they  had  no  share  in  forming,  and  that  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  country  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  was  little  better 
than  a  desert. 

After  a  hot  discussion,  which  lasted  the  whole  day,  the  vote 
was  reversed,  and  the  report  of  the  Boundary  Committee  (includ 
ing  all  the  Territory  as  far  as  New  Mexico)  adopted.  The  oppo 
sition  party,  defeated  after  they  were  sure  of  success,  showed  their 
chagrin  rather  noisily.  At  the  announcement  of  the  vote,  a 
dozen  members  jumped  up,  speaking  and  shouting  in  the  most 
confused  and  disorderly  manner.  Some  rushed  out  of  the  room  ; 
7* 


J54  ELDORADO. 

others  moved  an  adjournment ;  others  again  protested  they  would 
sign  no  Constitution,  embodying  such  a  provision.  In  the  midst 
of  this  tumult  the  House  adjourned.  The  defeated  party  were 
active  throughout,  and  procured  a  second  reconsideration.  Major 
Hill,  delegate  from  San  Diego,  then  proposed  the  following  boun 
dary  :  a  line  starting  from  the  Mexican  Boundary  and  following 
the  course  of  the  Colorado  to  lat.  35°  N.,  thence  due  north  to  the 
Oregon  Boundary.  Such  a  line,  according  to  the  opinion  of  both 
Capt.  Sutter  and  Gen.  Yallejo,  was  the  limit  set  by  the  Mexican 
Government  to  the  civil  jurisdiction  of  California.  It  divides  the 
Great  Central  Basin  about  two-thirds  of  the  distance  between  the 
Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  This  proposition  was 
adopted,  but  fell  through  on  second  reading,  when  the  boundary 
which  had  first  passed  was  readopted  by  a  large  vote.  When  it 
came  to  be  designated  on  the  map,  most  of  the  members  were 
better  satisfied  than  they  had  anticipated.  They  had  a  State  with 
eight  hundred  miles  of  sea-coast  and  an  average  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  including  both  sides  of  the  Sierra  Ne 
vada  and  some  of  the  best  rivers  of  the  Great  Basin.  As  to  the 
question  of  Slavery,  it  will  never  occasion  much  trouble.  The 
whole  Central  Region,  extending  to  the  Sierra  Madre  of  New 
Mexico,  will  never  sustain  a  slave  population.  The  greater  part 
of  it  resembles  in  climate  and  general  features  the  mountain 
steppes  of  Tartary,  and  is  better  adapted  for  grazing  than  agricul 
ture.  It  will  never  be  settled  so  long  as  an  acre  of  the  rich  loam 
of  Oregon  or  the  warm  wheat-plains  of  California  is  left  unten- 
anted. 

One  of  the  subjects  that  came  up  about. this  time  was  the  de 
sign  of  a  Great  Seal  for  the  State.  There  were  plenty  of  ideas  in 
the  heads  of  the  in  embers,  but  few  draughtsmen,  and  of  the  eight 


THE    GREAT    SEAL    OF    THE    STATE.  155 

or  ten  designs  presented,  some  were  ludicrous  enough.  The 
choice  finally  fell  upon  one  drawn  by  Major  Garnett,  which  was, 
in  reality,  the  best,  offered.  The  principal  figure  is  Minerva,  with 
her  spear  and  Gorgon  shield,  typical  of  the  manner  in  which 
California  was  born,  full-grown,  into  the  Confederacy.  At  her 
feet  crouches  a  grizzly  bear,  certainly  no  very  appropriate  sup 
porter  for  the  Gorgon  shield.  The  wheat-sheaf  and  vine  before 
him  illustrate  the  principal  agricultural  products  of  the  country, 
and  are  in  good  keeping — for  Ceres  sat  beside  Minerva  in  the 
councils  of  the  gods.  Near  at  hand  is  a  miner  with  his  imple 
ments,  in  the  distance  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  still  fur 
ther  the  Sierra  Nevada,  over  which  appears  the  single  word : 
"  EUREKA  !" 

The  discussion  on  the  subject  was  most  amusing.  None  of  the 
designs  seemed  at  first  to  tally  with  the  taste  of  the  Convention, 
as  each  district  was  anxious  to  be  particularly  represented.  The 
Sacramento  members  wanted  the  gold  mines  ;  the  San  Francisco 
members  wanted  the  harbor  and  shipping ;  the  Sonoma  members 
thought  no  seal  could  be  lawful  without  some  reminder  of  their 
noted  "  bear  flag  ;"  while  the  Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego  members 
were  clamorous  for  the  rights  of  their  vines,  olives  and  wild  horses 
• — so  that,  no  doubt,  the  seal  they  chose  was  the  most  satisfactory 
to  all.  The  sum  of  $1,000  was  voted  to  Mr.  Lyon,  one  of  the 
Secretaries,  for  the  purpose  of  having  it  engraved.  The  Conven 
tion  also  voted  the  sum  of  $10,000  to  Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne,  its 
reporter,  on  his  contracting  to  furnish  one  thousand  printed 
copies  of  the  entire  proceedings  in  English  and  three  hundred  in 
Spanish.  This  sum  also  included  the  remuneration  for  his  labors 
as  a  stenographer. 

After  discussing  various  plans  for  meeting  the  expenses  of  the 


156  ELDORADO. 

State,  at  the  outset,  an  ordinance  was  adopted,  (subject  to  the 
action  of  Congress,')  the  substance  of  which  was  as  follows  : 

O  // 

1.  One  section  out  of  every  quarter  township  of  the  public  lands 
shall  be  granted  to  the  State  for  the  use  of  the  schools.  2.  Sev 
enty-two  sections  of  unappropriated  land  within  the  State  shall  be 
granted  to  the  State  for  the  establishment  and  support  of  a  Uni 
versity.  3.  Four  sections,  selected  under  direction  of  the  Legisla 
ture,  shall  be  granted  for  the  use  of  the  State  in  establishing  a 
Seat  of  Government  and  erecting  buildings.  4.  Five  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  public  lands,  in  addition  to  the  same  amount 
granted  to  new  States,  shall  be  granted  for  the  purpose  of  defray 
ing  the  expenses  of  the  State  Government.  And  five  per  cent,  of 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  public  lands,  after  deducting  expenses, 
shall  be  given  for  the  encouragement  of  learning.  5.  All  salt 
springs,  with  the  land  adjoining,  shall  be  granted  to  the  use  of  the 
State. 

It  may  probably  be  thought,  on  reading  these  various  provisions 
for  the  filling  of  the  State  Treasury,  that  the  appetite  for  gold 
must  surely  grow  by  what  it  feeds  on.  California,  nevertheless, 
had  some  reason  for  making  so  many  exacting  demands.  The 
expenses  of  the  Government,  at  the  start,  will  necessarily  be  enor 
mous  ;  and  the  price  of  labor  so  far  exceeds  the  value  of  real 
estate,  that  the  ordinary  tax  on  property  would  scarcely  be  a  drop 
in  the  bucket.  The  cost  of  erecting  buildings  and  supporting  the 
various  branches  of  government  will  greatly  surpass  that  to  which 
any  state  has  ever  been  subjected.  In  paying  the  expenses  of  the 
Convention  from  the  Civil  Fund,  Gov.  Riley  in  many  instances 
took  upon  himself  weighty  responsibilities  ;  but  the  circumstances 
under  which  he  acted  were  entirely  without  precedent.  His 
Qourse  was  marked  throughout  by  great  prudence  and  good  sense. 


DISTINGUISHED    CALIFORNIANS.  157 

Towards  the  close  of  the  Convention,  those  of  the  members 
who  aspired  to  still  further  honor,  commenced  caucusing  and 
the  canvassing  of  influence  for  the  coming  election.  Several 
announced  themselves  as  candidates  for  various  offices,  and 
in  spite  of  vehement  disclaimers  to  the  contrary  the  lines  of  old 
parties  were  secretly  drawn.  Nevertheless,  it  is  impossible  at 
present  to  pronounce  correctly  on  the  political  character  of  the 
State ;  it  will  take  some  time  for  the  native  Californians  to  be 
drilled  into  the  new  harness,  and  I  suspect  they  will  frequently 
hold  the  balance  of  power. 

One  of  the  most  intelligent  and  influential  of  the  Californians  is 
den.  Mariano  Guadalupe  Vallejo,  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  several  times  during  my  stay  in  Monterey.  As  Military 
Commandant,  during  the  Governorship  of  Alvarado,  he  exercised 
almost  supreme  sway  over  the  country.  He  is  a  man  of  forty-five 
years  of  age,  tall  and  of  a  commanding  presence  ;  his  head  is  large, 
forehead  high  and  ample,  and  eyes  dark,  with  a  grave,  dignified 
expression.  He  is  better  acquainted  with  our  institutions  and 
laws  than  any  other  native  Californian. 

Among  the  other  notable  members  were  Covarrubias,  formerly 
Secretary  of  Government,  and  Jose  Antonio  Carrillo,  the  right- 
hand  man  of  Pio  Pico.  The  latter  is  upward  of  fifty-five  years 
of  age — a  small  man  with  frizzled  hair  and  beard,  gray  eyes,  and 
a  face  strongly  expressive  of  shrewdness  and  mistrust.  I  saw 
him,  one  day,  dining  at  a  restaurant  with  Gen.  Castro — the 
redoubtable  leader  of  the  Californian  troops,  in  Upper  and  Lower 
California.  Castro  is  a  man  of  medium  height,  but  stoutly  and 
strongly  made.  He  has  a  very  handsome  face  ;  his  eyes  are  large 
and  dark,  and  his  mouth  is  shaded  by  moustaches  with  the  gloss 
and  color  of  a  raven's  wing,  meeting  on  each  side  with  his  whig- 


158  ELDORADO. 

kers.  He  wore  the  sombrero,  jacket  and  calzoneros  of  the  coim« 
try.  His  temperament,  as  I  thought,  seemed  gloomy  and  satur 
nine,  and  I  was  gravely  informed  by  a  Californian  who  sat  oppo 
site  me,  that  he  meditated  the  reconquest  of  the  country  ! 

Capt.  Butter's  appearance  and  manners  quite  agreed  with  my 
preconceived  ideas  of  him.  He  is  still  the  hale,  blue-eyed,  jovial 
German — short  and  stout  of  stature,  with  broad  forehead,  head 
bald  to  the  crown,  and  altogether  a  ruddy,  good-humored  expres 
sion  of  countenance.  He  is  a  man  of  good  intellect,  excellent 
common  sense  and  amiable  qualities  of  heart.  A  little  more 
activity  and  enterprise  might  have  made  him  the  first  man  in 
California,  in  point  of  wealth  and  influence 


CHAPTER  XVI, 

THE    CLOSING    SCENES   OF    THE    CONVENTION. 

THE  day  and  night  immediately  preceding  the  dissolution  of  the 
Convention  far  exceeded  in  interest  all  the  former  period  of  ita 
existence.  I  know  not  how  I  can  better  describe  the  closing 
scenes  than  by  the  account  which  I  penned  on  the  spot,  at  the 
time  : 

The  Convention  yesterday  ( October  12)  gave  token  of  bringing 
its  labors  to  a  close  ;  the  morning  session  was  short  and  devoted 
only  to  the  passing  of  various  miscellaneous  provisions,  after  which 
an  adjournment  was  made  until  this  morning,  on  account  of  the 
Ball  given  by  the  Convention  to  the  citizens  of  Monterey.  The 
members,  by  a  contribution  of  $25  each,  raised  the  sum  of  $1,100 
to  provide  for  the  entertainment,  which  was  got  up  in  return  for 
that  given  by  the  citizens  about  four  weeks  since. 

The  Hall  was  cleared  of  the  forum  and  tables  and  decorated 
with  young  pines  from  the  forest.  At  each  end  were  the  American 
colors,  tastefully  disposed  across  the  boughs.  Three  chandeliers, 
neither  of  bronze  nor  cut-glass,  but  neat  and  brilliant  withal, 
poured  their  light  on  the  festivities.  At  eight  o'clock — the 
fashionable  ball-hour  in  Monterey — the  guests  began  to  assemble, 
and  in  an  hour  afterward  the  Hall  was  crowded  with  nearly  all  the 


160  ELDORADO. 

California!!  and  American  residents.  There  were  sixty  or  seventy 
ladies  present,  and  an  equal  number  of  gentlemen,  in  addition  to 
the  members  of  the  Convention.  The  dark-eyed  daughters  of 
Monterey,  Los  Angeles  and  Santa  Barbara  mingled  in  pleasing 
contrast  with  the  fairer  bloom  of  the  trans-Nevadian  belles.  The 
variety  of  feature  and  complexion  was  fully  equalled  by  the  variety 
of  dress.  In  the  whirl  of  the  waltz,  a  plain,  dark,  nun-like  robe 
would  be  followed  by  one  of  pink  satin  and  gauze  ;  next,  perhaps, 
a  bodice  of  scarlet  velvet  with  gold  buttons,  and  then  a  rich 
figured  brocade,  such  as  one  sees  on  the  stately  dames  of  Titian. 

The  dresses  of  the  gentlemen  showed  considerable  variety,  but 
were  much  less  picturesque.  A  complete  ball-dress  was  a  happi 
ness  attained  only  by  the  fortunate  few.  White  kids  could  not  be 
had  in  Monterey  for  love  or  money  and  as  much  as  $50  was  paid 
by  one  gentleman  for  a  pair  of  patent-leather  boots.  Scarcely  a 
single  dress  that  was  seen  belonged  entirely  to  its  wearer,  and  I 
thought,  if  the  clothes  had  power  to  leap  severally  back  to  their 
respective  owners,  some  persons  would  have  been  in  a  state  of 
utter  destitution.  For  my  part,  I  was  indebted  for  pantaloons  and 
vest  to  obliging  friends.  The  only  specimen  of  the  former  article 
which  I  could  get,  belonged  to  an  officer  whose  weight  was  consi 
derably  more  than  two  hundred,  but  I  managed  to  accommodate 
them  to  my.  proportions  by  a  liberal  use  of  pins,  notwithstanding 
the  difference  of  size.  Thus  equipped,  with  a  buff  military  vest, 
and  worsted  gaiters  with  very  square  toes,  I  took  my  way  to  the 
Hall  in  company  with  Major  Smith  and  his  brother. 

The  appearance  of  the  company,  nevertheless,  was  genteel  and 
respectable,  and  perhaps  the  genial,  unrestrained  social  spirit  that 
possessed  all  present  would  have  been  less  had  there  been  more 
uniformity  of  costume.  \Gen.  Riley  was  there  in  full  unifoim, 


A    BALL-ROOM    PICTURE.  161 

with  the  yellow  sash  he  won  at  Contreras  ;  Majors  Canby,  Hill  and 
Smith,  Captains  Burton  and  Kane,  and  the  other  officers  stationed 
in  Monterey,  accompanying  him.  In  one  group  might  be  seen 
Capt.  S  utter 's  soldierly  moustache  and  clear  blue  eye  ;  in  another, 
the  erect  figure  and  quiet,  dignified  bearing  of  Gen.  Vallejo.  Don 
Pablo  de  la  Guerra,  with  his  handsome,  aristocratic  features,  was 
the  floor  manager,  and  gallantly  discharged  his  office.  Conspicuous 
among  the  native  members  were  Don  Miguel  de  Pedrorena  and 
Jacinto  Rodriguez,  both  polished  gentlemen  and  deservedly  popu 
lar.  Dominguez,  the  Indian  member,  took  no  part  in  the  dance, 
but  evidently  enjoyed  the  scene  as  much  as  any  one  present.  The 
most  interesting  figure  to  me  was  that  of  Padre  Ramirez,  who,  in 
his  clerical  cassock,  looked  on  until  a  late  hour.  If  the  strongest 
advocate  of  priestly  gravity  and  decorum  had  been  present,  he 
could  not  have  found  in  his  heart  to  grudge  the  good  old  padre  the 
pleasure  that  beamed  upon  his  honest  countenance. 

The  band  consisted  of  two  violins  and  two  guitars,  whose  music 
made  up  in  spirit  what  it  lacked  in  skill.  They  played,  as  it 
seemed  to  me,  but  three  pieces  alternately,  for  waltz,  contra-dance 
and  quadrille.  The  latter  dance  was  evidently  an  unfamiliar  one, 
for  once  or  twice  the  music  ceased  in  the  middle  of  a  figure.  Each 
tune  ended  with  a  funny  little  squeak,  something  like  the  whistle 
of  the  octave  flute  in  Robert  le  Diable.  The  players,  however, 
worked  incessantly,  and  deserved  good  wages  for  their  performance. 
The  etiquette  of  the  dance  was  marked  by  that  grave,  stately 
courtesy,  which  has  been  handed  down  from  the  old  Spanish  times. 
The  gentlemen  invariably  gave  the  ladies  their  hands  to  lead  them 
to  their  places  on  the  floor  ;  in  the  pauses  of  the  dance  both  parties 
stood  motionless  side  by  side,  and  at  its  conclusion  the  lady  was 
Iravely  led  back  to  her  seat. 


162  ELDORADO 

At  twelve  o'clock  supper  was  announced.  The  Court-Room 
in  the  lower  story  had  been  fitted  up  for  this  purpose,  and,  as  it 
was  not  large  enough  to  admit  all  the  guests,  the  ladies  were  first 
conducted  thither  and  waited  upon  by  a  select  committee.  The 
refreshments  consisted  of  turkey,  roast  pig,  beef,  tongue  and  p&tes 
with  wines  and  liquors  of  various  sorts,  and  coffee.  A  large  supply 
had  been  provided,  but  after  everybody  was  served,  there  was  not 
much  remaining.  The  ladies  began  to  leave  about  two  o'clock, 
but  when  I  came  away,  an  hour  later,  the  dance  was  still  going  on 
with  spirit. 

The  members  met  this  morning  at  the  usual  hour,  to  perform 
the  last  duty  that  remained  to  them — that  of  signing  the  Consti 
tution.  They  were  all  in  the  happiest  humor,  and  the  morning 
was  so  bright  and  balmy  that  no  one  seemed  disposed  to  call  an 
organization.  Mr.  Semple  was  sick,  and  Mr.  Steuart,  of  San 
Francisco,  therefore  called  the  meeting  to  order  by  moving  Capt. 
Sutter's  appointment  in  his  place.  The  Chair  was  taken  by  the 
old  pioneer,  and  the  members  took  their  seats  around  the  sides  of 
the  hall,  which  still  retained  the  pine-trees  and  banners,  left  from 
last  night's  decorations.  The  windows  and  doors  were  open,  and 
a  delightful  breeze  came  in  from  the  Bay,  whose  blue  waters 
sparkled  in  the  distance.  The  view  from  the  balcony  in  front  was 
bright  and  inspiring.  The  town  below — the  shipping  in  the  har 
bor — the  pine-covered  hills  behind — were  mellowed  by  the  blue 
October  haze,  but  there  was  no  cloud  in  the  sky,  and  I  could 
plainly  see,  on  the  northern  horizon,  the  mountains  of  Santa  Cruz 
and  the  Sierra  de  Gavilan. 

After  the  minutes  had  been  read,  the  Committee  appointed  to 
draw  up  an  Address  to  the  People  of  California  was  called  upon 
to  report,  and  Mr.  Steuart,  Chairman,  read  the  Address.  Its  tone 


SIGNING    THE    CONSTITUTION.  lb'3 

and  sentiment  met  with  universal  approval,  and  it  was  adopted 
without  a  dissenting  voice.  A  resolution  was  then  offered  to  pay 
Lieut.  Hamilton,  who  is  now  engaged  in  engrossing  the  Constitu 
tion  upon  parchment,  the  sum  of  $500  for  his  labor.  This  mag 
nificent  price,  probably  the  highest  ever  paid  for  a  similar  service, 
is  on  a  par  with  all  things  else  in  California.  As  this  was  their 
last  session,  the  members  were  not  disposed  to  find  fault  with  it, 
especially  when  it  was  stated  by  one  of  them  that  Lieut.  Hamilton 
had  written  day  and  night  to  have  it  ready,  and  was  still  working 
upon  it,  though  with  a  lame  and  swollen  hand.  The  sheet  for  the 
signers'  names  was  ready,  and  the  Convention  decided  to  adjourn 
for  half  an  hour  and  then  meet  for  the  purpose  of  signing. 

I  amused  myself  during  the  interval  by  walking  about  the  town. 
Everybody  knew  that  the  Convention  was  about  closing,  and  it  was 
generally  understood  that  Capt.  Burton  had  loaded  the  guns  at  the 
fort,  and  would  fire  a  salute  of  thirty-one  guns  at  the  proper  mo 
ment.  The  citizens,  therefore,  as  well  as  the  members,  were  in 
an  excited  mood.  Monterey  never  before  looked  so  bright,  so 
happy,  so  full  of  pleasant  expectation. 

About  one  o'clock  the  Convention  met  again  ;  few  of  the  mem 
bers,  indeed,  had  left  the  hall.  Mr.  Semple,  although  in  feeble 
health,  called  them  to  order,  and,  after  having  voted  Gen.  Riley  a 
salary  of  $10,000,  and  Mr.  Halleck,  Secretary  of  State,  $6,000  a 
year,  from  the  commencement  of  their  respective  offices,  they  pro 
ceeded  to  affix  their  names  to  the  completed  Constitution.  At 
this  moment  a  signal  was  given  ;  the  American  colors  ran  up  the 
flag-staff  in  front  of  the  Government  buildings,  and  streamed  out 
on  the  air.  A  second  afterward  the  first  gun  boomed  from  the' 
fort,  and  its  stirring  echoes  came  back  from  one  hill  after  another, 
till  they  were  lost  in  the  distance. 


164  ELDORADO. 

All  the  native  enthusiasm  of  Capt  Sutter's  Swiss  blood  was 
aroused ;  he  was  the  old  soldier  again.  He  sprang  from  his  seat, 
and,  waving  his  hand  around  his  head,  as  if  swinging  a  sword,  ex 
claimed  :  "  G-entlemen,  this  is  the  happiest  day  of  iny  life.  It  makes 
me  glad  to  hear  those  cannon  :  they  remind  me  of  the  time  when 
I  was  a  soldier.  Yes,  I  am  glad  to  hear  them — this  is  a  great 
day  for  California  !"  Then,  recollecting  himself,  he  sat  down,  the 
tears  streaming  from  his  eyes.  The  members  with  one  accord, 
gave  three  tumultuous  cheers,  which  were  heard  from  one  end  of 
the  town  to  the  other.  As  the  signing  went  on,  gun  followed  gun 
from  the  fort,  the  echoes  reverberating  grandly  around  the  bay, 
till  finally,  as  the  loud  ring  of  the  thirty-first  was  heard,  there  was 
a  shout :  "  That's  for  California  !"  and  every  one  joined  in  giving 
three  times  three  for  the  new  star  added  to  our  Confederation. 

There  was  one  handsome  act  I  must  not  omit  to  mention.  The 
Captain  of  the  English  bark  Volunteer,  of  Sidney,  Australia,  ly 
ing  in  the  harbor,  sent  on  shore  in  the  morning  for  an  American 
flag.  When  the  first  gun  was  heard,  a  line  of  colors  ran  flutter 
ing  up  to  the  spars,  the  stars  and  stripes  flying  triumphantly  from 
the  main-top.  The  compliment  was  the  more  marked,  as  some 
of  the  American  vessels  neglected  to  give  any  token  of  recogni 
tion  to  the  event  of  the  day. 

The  Constitution  having  been  signed  and  the  Convention  dis 
solved,  the  members  proceeded  in  a  body  to  the  house  of  Gen. 
Riley.  The  visit  was  evidently  unexpected  by  the  old  veteran. 
When  he  made  his  appearance  Captain  Sutter  stepped  forward 
and  having  shaken  him  by  the  hand,  drew  himself  into  an  erect 
attitude,  raised  one  hand  to  his  breast  as  if  he  were  making  a  re 
port  to  his  commanding  officer  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  addressed 
him  as  follows : 


GEN.    RILEY    AND    THE    MEMBERS.  16n 

"  G-ENERAL  :  I  have  been  appointed  by  the  Delegates,  elected 
by  the  people  of  California  to  form  a  Constitution,  to  address 
you  in  their  names  and  in  behalf  of  the  whole  people  of  Cali 
fornia,  and  express  the  thanks  of  the  Convention  for  the  aid  and 
cooperation  they  have  received  from  you  in  the  discharge  of  the 
responsible  duty  of  creating  a  State  Government.  And,  sir,  the 
Convention,  as  you  will  perceive  from  the  official  records,  duly  ap 
preciates  the  great  and  important  services  you  have  rendered  to 
our  common  country,  and  especially  to  the  people  of  California, 
and  entertains  the  confident  belief  that  you  will  receive  from  the 
whole  of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  when  you  retire  from 
your  official  duties  here,  that  verdict  so  grateful  to  the  heart  of 
the  patriot :  i  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant.'  " 

Gen.  Riley  was  visibly  affected  by  this  mark  of  respect,  no  less 
appropriate  than  well  deserved  on  his  part.  The  tears  in  his 
eyes  and  the  plain,  blunt  sincerity  of  his  voice  and  manner,  went 
to  the  heart  of  every  one  present.  "  G-entlemen :"  he  said,  "  I 
never  made  a  speech  in  my  life.  I  am  a  soldier — but  I  can/ee// 
and  I  do  feel  deeply  the  honor  you  have  this  day  conferred  upon 
me.  Gentlemen,  this  is  a  prouder  day  to  me  than  that  on  which 
my  soldiers  cheered  me  on  the  field  of  Contreras.  I  thank  you 
all  from  my  heart.  I  am  satisfied  now  that  the  people  have  done 
right  in  selecting  Delegates  to  frame  a  Constitution.  They  have 
chosen  a  body  of  men  upon  whom  our  country  may  look  with 
pride  :  you  have  framed  a  Constitution  worthy  of  California. 
And  I  have  no  fear  for  California  while  her  people  choose  their 
Representatives  so  wisely.  Gentlemen,  I  congratulate  you  upon 
the  successful  conclusion  of  your  arduous  labors  ;  and  I  wish  you 
all  happiness  and  prosperity." 

The  General  was  here  interrupted  with  three   hearty  cheers 


166  ELDORADO. 

which  the  members  gave  him,  as  Governor  of  California,  followec, 
by  three  more,  "  as  a  gallant  soldier,  and  worthy  of  his  country's 
glory."  He  then  concluded  in  the  following  words  :  "  I  have 
but  one  thing  to  add,  gentlemen,  and  that  is,  that  my  success  in 
the  affairs  of  California  is  mainly  owing  to  the  efficient  aid  ren 
dered  me  by  Capt.  Halleck,  the  Secretary  of  State.  He  has  stood 
by  me  in  all  emergencies.  To  him  I  have  always  appealed  when 
at  a  loss  myself;  and  he  has  never  failed  me." 

This  recognition  of  Capt.  Halleck's  talents  and  the  signal  ser 
vice  he  has  rendered  to  our  authorities  here,  since  the  conquest, 
was  peculiarly  just  and  appropriate.  It  was  so  felt  by  the  mem 
bers,  and  they  responded  with  equal  warmth  of  feeling  by  giving 
three  enthusiastic  cheers  for  the  Secretary  of  State.  They  then 
took  their  leave,  many  of  them  being  anxious  to  start  this  after 
noon  for  their  various  places  of  residence.  All  were  in  a  happy 
and  satisfied  mood,  and  none  less  so  than  the  native  members. 
Pedrorena  declared  that  this  was  the  most  fortunate  day  in  the 
history  of  California.  Even  Carillo,  in  the  beginning  one  of  our 
most  zealous  opponents,  displayed  a  genuine  zeal  for  the  Constitu 
tion,  which  he  helped  to  frame  under  the  laws  of  our  Republic. 

Thus  closes  the  Convention  ;  and  I  cannot  help  saying,  with 
Capt.  Sutter,  that  the  day  which  sees  laid  the  broad  and  liberal 
foundation  of  a  free  and  independent  State  on  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific,  is  a  great  day  for  California.  As  an  American,  I  feel 
proud  and  happy — proud,  that  the  Empire  of  the  West,  the  com 
merce  of  the  great  Pacific,  the  new  highway  to  the  Indies,  form 
ing  the  last  link  in  that  belt  of  civilized  enterprise  which  now 
clasps  the  world,  has  been  established  under  my  country's  flag  ; 
and  happy,  that  in  all  the  extent  of  California,  from  the  glittering 
snows  of  the  Shaste  to  the  burning  deserts  of  the  Colorado,  no 


MORAL    OF    THE    CONVENTION  167 

t$lave  shall  ever  lift  his  arm  to  make  the  freedom  of  that  flag  a 
mockery. 

The  members  of  the  Convention  may  have  made  some  blun 
ders  in  the  course  of  their  deliberations ;  there  may  be  some  ob- 
iectionable  clauses  in  the  Constitution  they  have  framed.  But 
where  was  there  ever  a  body  convened,  under  such  peculiar  cir 
cumstances  ? — where  was  ever  such  harmony  evolved  out  of  so 
wonderful,  so  dangerous,  so  magnificent  a  chaos  ?  The  elements 
of  which  the  Convention  was  composed  were  no  less  various,  and 
in  some  respects  antagonistic,  than  those  combined  in  the  mining 
population.  The  questions  they  had  to  settle  were  often  perplex 
ing,  from  the  remarkable  position  of  the  country  and  the  absence 
of  all  precedent.  Besides,  many  of  them  were  men  unused  to 
legislation.  Some  had  for  years  past  known  no  other  life  than 
that  of  the  camp  ;  others  had  nearly  forgotten  all  law  in  the  wild 
life  of  the  mountains  ;  others  again  were  familiar  only  with  that 
practiced  under  the  rule  of  a  different  race.  Yet  the  courtesies 
of  debate  have  never  been  wantonly  violated,  and  the  result  of 
every  conflict  of  opinion  has  been  a  quiet  acquiescence  on  the  part 
of  the  minority.  Now,  at  the  conclusion,  the  only  feeling  is  that 
of  general  joy  and  congratulation. 

Thus,  we  have  another  splendid  example  of  the  ease  and  se 
curity  with  which  people  can  be  educated  to  govern  themselves. 
From  that  chaos  whence,  under  the  rule  of  a  despotism  like  the 
Austrian,  would  spring  the  most  frightful  excesses  of  anarchy 
and  crime,  a  population  of  freemen  peacefully  and  quietly  de 
velops  the  highest  form  of  civil  order — the  broadest  extent  of 
liberty  and  security.  Governments,  bad  and  corrupt  as  many  of 
them  are,  and  imperfect  as  they  all  must  necessarily  be,  never 
theless  at  times  exhibit  scenes  of  true  moral  sublimity.  What  I 


168  ELDORADO 

have  to-day  witnessed  has  so  impressed  me  ;  and  were  I  a  be 
liever  in  omens,  I  would  augur  from  the  tranquil  beauty  of  this 
evening — from  the  clear  sky  and  the  lovely  sunset  hues  on  the 
waters  of  the  bay — more  than  all,  from  the  joyous  expression  of 
every  face  I  see — a  glorious  and  prosperous  career  for  the  STATE 
OF  CALIFORNIA  ' 


CHAPTER  XVII, 

SHORE     AND     FOREST. 

No  one  can  be  in  Monterey  a  single  night,  without  being  startled 
and  awed  by  the  deep,  solemn  crashes  of  the  surf  as  it  breaks 
along  the  shore.  There  is  no  continuous  roar  of  the  plunging 
waves,  as  we  hear  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard ;  the  slow,  regular 
swells — quiet  pulsations  of  the  great  Pacific's  heart — roll  inward 
in  unbroken  lines  and  fall  with  single  grand  crashes,  with  inter 
vals  of  dead  silence  between.  They  may  be  heard  through  the 
day,  if  one  listens,  like  a  solemn  undertone  to  all  the  shallow 
noises  of  the  town,  but  at  midnight,  when  all  else  is  still,  those 
successive  shocks  fall  upon  the  ear  with  a  sensation  of  inexpres 
sible  solemnity.  All  the  air,  from  the  pine  forests  to  the  sea,  is 
filled  with  a  light  tremor  and  the  intermitting  beats  of  sound  are 
strong  enough  to  jar  a  delicate  ear.  Their  constant  repetition  at 
last  produces  a  feeling  something  like  terror.  A  spirit  worn  and 
weakened  by  some  scathing  sorrow  could  scarcely  bear  the  re 
verberation. 

When  there  has  been  a  gale  outside,  and  a  morning  of  dazzling 
clearness  succeeds  a  night  of  fog  and  cold  wind,  the  swells  are 
loudest  and  most  magnificent.  Then  their  lines  of  foam  are  flung 
upward  like  a  snowy  fringe  along  the  dark-blue  hem  of  tbe  sea, 

VOL.    I.  8 


170  ELDORADO. 

and  a  light,  glittering  mist  constantly  rises  from  the  hollow  curve 
of  the  shore.  One  quiet  Sunday  afternoon,  when  the  uproar  was 
such  as  to  be  almost  felt  in  the  solid  earth,  I  walked  out  along  the 
sand  till  I  had  passed  the  anchorage  and  could  look  on  the  open 
Pacific.  The  surface  of  the  bay  was  comparatively  calm  ;  but 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  shore  it  upheaved  with  a  slow, 
majestic  movement,  forming  a  single  line  more  than  a  mile  in 
length,  which,  as  it  advanced,  presented  a  perpendicular  front  of 
clear  green  water,  twelve  feet  in  height.  There  was  a  gradual 
curving-in  of  this  emerald  wall — a  moment's  waver — and  the  whole 
mass  fell  forward  with  a  thundering  crash,  hurling  the  shattered 
spray  thirty  feet  into  the  air.  A  second  rebound  followed  ;  and 
thd  boiling,  seething  waters  raced  far  up  the  sand  with  a  sharp, 
trampling,  metallic  sound,  like  the  jangling  of  a  thousand  bars  of 
iron.  I  sat  down  on  a  pine  log,  above  the  highest  wave-mark,  and 
watched  this  sublime  phenomenon  for  a  long  time.  The  sand-hills 
behind  me  confined  and  redoubled  the  sound,  prolonging  it  from 
crash  to  crash,  so  that  the  ear  was  constantly  filled  with  it.  Once, 
a  tremendous  swell  came  in  close  on  the  heels  of  one  that  had  just 
broken,  and  the  two  uniting,  made  one  wave,  which  shot  far  be 
yond  the  water-line  and  buried  me  above  the  knee.  As  far  as  I 
could  see,  the  shore  was  white  with  the  subsiding  deluge.  It  was 
a  fine  illustration  of  the  magnificent  language  of  Scripture  :  "  He 
maketh  the  deep  to  boil  like  a  pot ;  he  maketh  the  sea  like  a  pot 
of  ointment ;  one  would  think  the  deep  to  be  hoary." 

The  pine  forest  behind  the  town  encloses  in  its  depths  many 
spots  of  remarkable  loneliness  and  beauty.  The  forest  itself  had 
a  peculiar  charm  for  me,  and  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  my 
exploring  some  part  of  its  solemn  region.  The  old,  rugged  trees, 
blackened  with  many  fires,  are  thickly  bearded  with  long  gray 


THE    FOREST SWIMMING    A    RAVINE.  171 

moss,  which  gives  out  a  hoarse,  dull  sound  as  the  sea-wind  sweeps 
through  them.  The  promontory  of  Monterey  is  entirely  covered 
with  them,  excepting  only  the  little  glens,  or  canadas,  which  wind 
their  way  between  the  interlocking  bases  of  the  hills.  Here,  the 
grass  is  thick  and  luxuriant  through  the  whole  year  ;  the  pines 
shut  out  all  sight  but  the  rnild,  stainless  heaven  above  their  tops ; 
the  air  is  fragrant  with  the  bay  and  laurel,  and  the  light  tread  of 
a  deer  or  whirr  of  a  partridge,  at  intervals,  alone  breaks  the  deli 
cious  solitude.  The  far  roar  of  the  surf,  stealing  up  through  the 
avenues  of  the  forest,  is  softened  to  a  murmur  by  the  time  it 
reaches  these  secluded  places.  No  more  lovely  hermitages  for 
thought  or  the  pluming  of  callow  fancies,  can  be  found  among  the 
pine-bowers  of  the  Villa  Borghese. 

After  climbing  all  of  the  lesser  heights,  and  barking  my  hand  on 
the  rough  bark  of  a  branchless  pine,  in  the  endeavor  to  climb  it 
for  a  look-out,  I  started  one  afternoon  on  an  expedition  to  the  top 
of  a  bald  summit  among  the  hills  to  the  southward.  It  was  appa 
rently  near  at  hand  and  easy  of  access,  but  after  I  had  walked 
several  miles,  1  rjaw,  from  the  top  of  a  ridge,  that  a  deep  valley — • 
a  chasm,  almost — was  to  be  passed  before  I  could  reach  even  its 
foot.  The  sido  seemed  almost  precipitous  and  the  loose  stones 
slid  under  my  feet ;  but  by  hanging  to  the  low  limbs  of  trees,  I 
succeeded  in  getting  to  the  bottom.  The  bed  of  the  valley,  not 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  in  breadth,  was  one  matted  mass  of 
wild  vines,  briars  and  thorny  shrubs.  I  trusted  to  the  strength  of 
my  corduroys  for  defence  against  them,  and  to  a  good  horse-pistol 
should  I  stumble  on  some  wild  beast's  lair — and  plunged  in.  At 
the  first  step  I  sank  above  my  head,  without  touching  the  bottom. 
The  briars  were  woven  so  closely  that  it  was  impossible  to  press 
through  or  creep  under  them  ;  I  could  only  flounder  along,  draw- 


172  ELDORADO. 

/ 

ing  myself  up  by  the  greatest  exertions,  to  sink  into  another  gulf 
a  few  inches  in  advance.  My  hands  and  clothes  were  torn,  my 
mouth  filled  with  dry  and  bitter  pollen  from  the  withered  vines 
that  brushed  my  face,  and  it  was  only  after  an  hour's  labor  that  I 
reached  the  other  side,  completely  exhausted. 

I  climbed  the  opposite  hill,  thinking  my  object  nearly  attained, 
when  lo  !  another,  a  deeper  and  rougher  chasm  still  intervened. 
The  sun  was  already  down  and  I  gave  up  the  journey.  From  the 
end  of  the  ridge  I  had  attained,  I  overlooked  all  the  circumference 
of  the  bay.  Behinol  the  white  glimmer  of  the  town  the  forest  rose 
with  a  gradual  sweep,  while  before  me  lay  a  wide  extent  of  undu 
lating  hills,  rolling  off  to  the  Salinas  Plains,  which  appeared  be 
yond — 

"  Dim  tracts  and  vast,  robed  in  the  lustrous  gloom 
Of  leaden-colored  even,  and  fiery  hills 
Mingling  their  flames  with  twilight,  on  the  verge 
Of  the  remote  horizon." 

Taking  another  road,  I  wandered  home  in  the  dusk,  not  without 
some  chance  of  losing  myself  among  the  frequent  hollows  and 
patches  of  chapparal.  I  lay  in  wait  half  an  hour  for  two  deer,  a 
glimpse  of  whom  I  had  caught  in  the  woods,  but  as  I  had  not  the 
keen  sight  of  a  Kentucky  hunter,  I  was  obliged  to  go  home  with 
out  them. 

The  opposite  shore  of  the  promontory  contains  many  striking 
and  picturesque  points,  to  which  the  Montereyans  often  resort  on 
parties  of  pleasure.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  is  Punt  a 
de  los  Cipreses,  or  Cypress  Point,  which  I  visited  several  times 
One  of  my  most  memorable  days,  while  at  Monterey,  was  spent 
there  in  company  with  my  friend,  Ross  Browne.  We  started 
early  in  tho  morning,  carrying  with  us  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a  piece 


DINNER    BY    THE    SEA-SIDE.  173 

of  raw  beef,  as  materials  for  dinner.  After  threading  the  mazes 
of  the  forest  for  several  miles,  we  came  upon  the  bleak  sand-hilla 
piled  like  snow-drifts  between  the  forest  and  the  beach.  The  bare 
tongue  of  land  which  jutted  out  beyond  them  was  covered  with  a 
carpet  of  maritime  plants,  among  which  I  noticed  one  with  a  beau 
tiful  star-like  flower  :  another,  with  succulent,  wax-like  leaves, 
bears  a  fruit  which  is  greatly  relished  by  the  Californians. 

The  extremity  of  the  Point  is  a  mass  of  gray  rock,  worn  by  the 
surf  into  fantastic  walls  and  turrets.  The  heavy  swells  of  the 
open  sea,  striking  their  bases  with  tremendous  force,  fill  their 
crevices  with  foaming  spray,  which  pours  off  in  a  hundred  cata 
racts  as  the  wave  draws  back  for  another  shock.  In  the  narrow 
channels  between  the  rocks,  the  pent  waters  rdl  inland  with  great 
force,  flooding  point  after  point  and  flinging  high  into  the  air  the 
purple  flags  and  streamers  of  sea-weed,  till  they  reach  the  glassy, 
sheltered  pools,  that  are  quietly  filled  and  emptied  with  every 
pulsation  of  the  great  sea  without.  A  cold  mist  hung  over  the 
sea,  which  heightened  the  wildness  and  bleakness  of  the  scene  and 
made  it  inspiring.  Flocks  of  sea-gulls  uttered  their  shrill,  piping 
cry  as  they  flew  over  us,  and  a  seal  now  and  then  thrust  up  his 
inquisitive  head,  outside  of  the  surf. 

We  collected  the  drift-wood  which  lay  scattered  along  the 
shore,  and  made  a  roaring  fire  on  the  rocks.  After  having  sliced 
and  spitted  our  meat  and  set  our  bread  to  toast,  we  crept  into  the 
crevices  that  opened  to  the  sea,  and  at  the  momentary  risk  of 
being  drenched,  tore  off  the  muscles  adhering  to  them.  When  well 
roasted,  their  flesh  is  tender  and  nearly  as  palatable  as  that 
of  an  oyster  ;  it  is  of  a  bright  orange  color,  with  a  little  black 
beard  at  one  end,  which  is  intensely  bitter  and  must  be  rejected. 
We  seasoned  our  meat  by  dipping  it  into  the  sea,  and  when  our 


174  ELDORADO. 

meal  was  ready,  ate  it  from  the  pearly  shells  of  the  avelone^  which 
strewed  the  sand.  It  was  a  rare  dinner,  that,  with  its  grand  ac 
companiment  of  surf-music  and  the  clanging  sea-gulls  as  our 
attendants.  On  our  way  home  we  came  suddenly  on  a  pack  of 
seven  black  wolves,  who  had  been  feeding  on  the  body  of  a  large 
stranded  fish.  They  gave  a  howl  of  surprise  and  started  off  at 
full  speed,  through  the  bushes,  where  I  attempted  to  follow  them, 
but  my  legs  were  no  match  for  their  fleetness. 

I  rode  to  Point  Pinos  one  afternoon,  in  company  with  Major 
Hill.  Our  way  was  through  the  Pine  Forest ;  we  followed  no 
regular  path,  but  pushed  our  horses  through  chapparal,  leaped 
them  over  trees  that  had  been  uprooted  in  the  last  winter's 
storms,  and  spurred  them  at  a  gallop  through  the  cleared  inter 
vals.  A  narrow  ridge  of  sand  intervenes  between  the  pines  and 
the  sea.  Beyond  it,  the  Point — a  rugged  mass  of  gray  sandstone 
rock,  washed  into  fantastic  shapes,  juts  out  into  the  Pacific.  The 
tide  was  at  its  ebb,  but  a  strong  wind  was  blowing,  and  the  shock 
and  foam  of  the  swells  was  magnificent.  We  scrambled  from 
ledge  to  ledge  till  we  gained  the  extremity  of  the  Point,  and  there, 
behind  the  last  rock  that  fronts  the  open  sea,  found  a  little  shel 
tered  cove,  whose  sides  and  bottom  were  covered  with  star-fish, 
avelones,  muscles,  and  polypi  of  brilliant  colors.  There  were 
prickly  balls  of  purple,  rayed  fish  of  orange  and  scarlet,  broad 
flower-like  animals  of  green  and  umber  hue,  and  myriads  of  little 
crabs  and  snails,  all  shining  through  the  clear  green  water.  The 
avelone,  which  is  a  univalve,  found  clinging  to  the  sides  of  rocks, 
furnishes  the  finest  mother-of-pearl.  We  had  come  provided  with 
a  small  iron  bar,  which  was  more  than  a  match  for  their  suction 
power,  and  in  a  short  space  of  time  secured  a  number  of  their 
beautiful  shells.  Among  the  sand-hills  and  even  in  some  part? 


GEOLOOY    AND    INDIAN    TRADITION  175 

of  the  forest,  the  earth  is  strewed  with  them.  The  natives  were 
formerly  in  the  habit  of  gathering  them  into  large  heaps  and  mak 
ing  lime  therefrom. 

The  existence  of  these  shells  in  the  soil  is  but  one  of  the  facts 
which  tend  to  prove  the  recent  geological  formation  of  this  part 
of  the  coast.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  a  great  part 
of  the  promontory  on  which  Monterey  is  built,  was  at  no  very  re 
mote  period  of  time  covered  by  the  sea.  A  sluggish  salt  lagoon, 
»gast  of  the  Catholic  Church,  was  not  more  than  twenty  years  ago 
a  part  of  the  bay,  from  which  it  is  now  separated  by  a  sandy  mea 
dow,  quarter  of  a  mile  in  breadth.  According  to  an  Indian  tra 
dition,  of  comparatively  modern  origin,  the  waters  of  San  Francisco 
Bay  once  communicated  with  the  bay  of  Monterey  hy  the  valley 
of  San  Jose  and  the  Rio  del  Pajaro.  I  should  think  a  level  of 
fifty  feet,  or  perhaps  less — above  the  present  one,  would  suffice 
to  have  effected  this.  The  other  Indian  tradition,  that  the  outlet 
of  the  Golden  Gate  was  occasioned  by  violent  disruption  of  the 
hills,  through  the  means  of  an  earthquake,  is  not  based  on 
natural  evidence.  The  sloughs  and  marshes  in  the  valley  of  San 
Joaquin,  and  around  the  Tulare  Lakes,  present  every  appearance 
of  having  been  left  by  the  drainage  of  a  subsiding  ocean.  A 
thorough  geological  exploration  of  California  would  undoubtedly 
bring  to  light  many  strange  and  interesting  facts  connected  with 
her  physical  formation. 

On  our  way  home,  we  discovered  a  sea-otter,  basking  on  an 
isolated  rock.  Major  Hill  crept  stealthily  to  within  about  fifty 
yards  of  him,  took  good  aim  and  fired.  He  gave  a  convulsive  leap 
and  tumbled  into  the  sea,  evidently  badly  wounded,  if  not  killed. 
His  boady  floated  out  on  the  waves,  and  a  flock  of  sea-mews,  at- 
ti  acted  by  the  blood,  flew  round  him,  uttering  their  piping  cry 


176  ELDORADO. 

and  darting  down  to  the  water.  The  otter  is  rare  on  this  part  of 
the  coast,  and  the  skin  of  one  is  valued  at  $40. 

I  shall  notice  but  one  other  ramble  about  the  forests  and  shores 
of  Monterey.  This  was  a  visit  to  the  ex-Mission  of  Carmel  and 
Point  Lobos,  which  I  made  in  company  with  Mr.  Lyon,  one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  the  Convention.  A  well-traveled  road,  leading  over 
the  hills,  conducted  us  to  the  Mission,  which  is  situated  on  the 
Pacific  side  of  the  promontory,  at  the  head  of  a  shallow  bay.  The 
beautiful  but  deserted  valley  in  which  it  stands  is  threaded  by  the 
Rio  de  Carmel,  whose  waters  once  gave  unfailing  fertility  to  its  now 
neglected  gardens.  The  Mission  building  is  in  the  form  of  a  hollow 
Square,  with  a  spacious  court-yard,  overlooked  by  a  heavy  belfry 
and  chapel-dome  of  sun-dried  bricks.  The  out-buildings  of  the 
Indian  retainers  and  the  corrals  of  earth  that  once  herded  thou 
sands  of  cattle  are  broken  down  and  tenantless.  We  climbed  into 
the  tower  and  struck  the  fine  old  Spanish  bells,  but  the  sound 
called  no  faces  into  the  blank  windows. 

We  bribed  a  red-headed  boy,  who  was  playing  with  two  or  three 
younger  children  in  the  court-yard,  to  bring  us  the  keys  of  the 
church.  His  father — an  American  who  had  been  many  years  in 
the  country  and  taken  unto  himself  a  native  wife — followed,  and 
opened  for  us  the  weather-beaten  doors.  The  interior  of  the 
Church  was  lofty,  the  ceiling  a  rude  attempt  at  a  Gothic  arch, 
and  the  shrine  a  huge,  faded  mass  of  gilding  and  paint,  with  some 
monkish  portraits  of  saints.  A  sort  of  side-chapel  near  the  en 
trance  was  painted  with  Latin  inottos  and  arabesque  scrolls  which 
exhibited  a  genuine  though  uncultivated  taste  for  adornment. 
The  walls  were  hung  with  portraits  of  saints,  some  black  and  some 
white,  some  holding  croziers,  some  playing  violins  and  some  bap 
tizing  Indians.  Near  the  altar  is  the  tomb  of  Padre  Junipero 


THE    SEA-LIONS    ON    POINT    LOBOS.  177 

Sena,  the  founder  of  Monterey  and  the  zealous  pioneer  in  the 
settlement  and  civilization  of  California. 

We  reached  Point  Lobos,  which  is  three  miles  beyond  the  Mis 
sion,  by  a  ride  along  the  beach.  It  is  a  narrow,  bluff  headland, 
overgrown  with  pines  nearly  to  its  extremity.  The  path  brought 
us  to  the  brink  of  a  stony  declivity,  shelving  down  to  the  sea. 
Off  the  Point,  and  at  the  distance  of  not  more  than  two  hundred 
yards,  is  a  cluster  of  low  rocks,  some  of  which  are  covered  with  a 
deposit  of  guano.  As  we  reined  up  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  a 
most  extraordinary  sound  met  our  ears — a  mingled  bellowing, 
groaning  and  snorting,  unlike  anything  I  had  ever  heard.  The 
rocks  seemed  to  be  in  motion  at  the  first  glance,  and  one  might 
readily  have  imagined  that  the  sound  proceeded  from  their  uneasy 
heaving  on  the  waves.  But,  on  looking  more  closely,  I  saw  that 
their  visible  surface  was  entirely  covered  with  the  huge  bodies  of 
the  seals  and  sea-lions  who  had  congregated  there — great,  un 
wieldy,  wallowing  creatures,  from  eight  to  fifteen  feet  in  length, 
rolling  to  and  fro  among  each  other  and  uttering  their  peculiar 
bellowing  cry.  Occasionally,  a  group  of  them  would  slip  off  into 
the  water,  and  attracted  by  their  curiosity,  approach  the  shore. 
The  sea-lions,  with  their  broad  heads,  rough  manes  and  square 
fronts,  showed  some  resemblance  to  the  royal  beast,  when  viewed 
in  front.  They  are  frequently  captured  and  killed  by  whalers  for 
the  sake  of  their  blubber,  which  yields  a  considerable  quantity  of 
oil. 

I  attended  the  Catholic  Church  in  Monterey  one  Sunday,  to 
hear  good  old  Padre  Ramirez.  The  church  is  small  and  with 
scanty  decorations ;  the  nave  and  gallery  were  both  crowded  by 
the  Californian  families  and  Indians.  Near  the  door  hung  oppo 
site  pictures  of  Heaven  and  Hell — the  former  a  sort  of  pyramid 
8* 


J78  ELDORADO. 

inhabited  by  straight  white  figures,  with  an  aspect  of  solemn  dis 
tress;  the  latter  enclosed  in  the  expanded  jaws  of  a  dragon, 
swarming  with  devils  who  tormented  their  victims  with  spears  and 
pitchforks.  The  church  music  was  furnished  by  a  diminutive 
parlor-organ,  and  consisted  of  a  choice  list  of  polkas,  waltzes  and 
fandango  airs.  Padre  Ramirez  preached  a  very  excellent  sermon, 
recommending  his  Catholic  flock  to  follow  the  example  of  the 
Protestants,  who,  he  said,  were  more  truly  pious  than  they,  and 
did  much  more  for  the  welfare  of  their  church.  I  noticed  that, 
during  the  sermon,  several  of  the  Californians  disappeared  through 
a  small  door  at  the  end  of  the  gallery.  Following  them,  out  of 
curiosity,  I  found  them  all  seated  in  the  belfry  and  along  the  co 
ping  of  the  front,  composedly  smoking  their  cigars. 

There  was  a  little  gold  excitement  in  Monterey  during  my 
visit,  on  account  of  the  report  that  a  washing  of  considerable  rich 
ness  had  been  discovered  near  the  Mission  of  San  Antonio,  among 
the  Coast  Mountains,  sixty  miles  to  the  southward.  According 
to  the  accounts  which  reached  us,  a  number  of  people  had  com 
menced  working  there,  with  fair  success,  and  traders  were  begin 
ning  to  send  their  teams  in  that  direction.  Gold  was  also  said  to 
exist  in  small  quantities  near  the  Mission  of  Carmel,  where,  in 
deed,  there  were  strong  geological  indications  of  it.  These  dis 
coveries,  however,  were  too  slight  to  affect  the  repose  of  the  town, 
which  a  much  greater  excitement  could  scarcely  have  shaken. 


CHAPTER  XVIII, 

OLD  CALIFORNIA ITS  MISSIONS  AND  ITS  LANDS. 

THREE  or  four  weeks  of  my  stay  in  Monterey  were  principally 
passed  in  the  office  of  the  Civil  Government,  where  I  was  em 
ployed  in  examining  all  the  records  relating  to  land  titles  and 
Mission  property  in  California.     Notwithstanding  the  apparent 
dry  ness  of  the  subject,  I  found  the  documents  curious  and  inter 
esting.     The  smoky  papel  sellado  on  which  they  were  written — 
the  na'ive  and  irregular  orthography — the  rude  drawings  and  maps 
which  accompanied  them  and  the  singular  laws  and  customs  of 
which  they  gave  evidence,  had  a  real  charm  to  any  one  possessing 
the  slightest  relish  for  the  odor  of  antiquity.     Most  interesting  of 
all  was  a  box  of  records,  brought  from  La  Paz,  Lower  California, 
where  many  similar  boxes,  equally  precious,  were  used  for  the 
wadding  of  Castro's  cannon.     Among  its  contents  were  letters  of 
instruction  from  the  Viceroy  Galvez,  original  letters  of  Padre 
Junipero  Serra  and  mandates  from  the  Bishops  of  Mexico  to  th 
Missionaries  in  Sonora  and  California.     I  was  never  tired  of  hear 
ing  Capl.  Halleck,  the  Secretary  of  State,  whose  knowledge  of  the 
early  history  of  California  is  not  equalled  by  any  one  in  the  coun 
try,  talk  of  those  marvellous  times  and  makf    clear    the  misty 
meaning  of  the  rare  old  papers. 


180  ELDORADO. 

The  extensive  history  of  Vanegas,  an  abridgment  of  which  has 
been  introduced  by  Mr.  Forbes  into  his  work  on  California,  is  the 
most  complete  of  all  which  have  been  written.  It  is  mainly  con 
fined,  however,  to  the  settlement  of  the  Peninsula,  and  throws  no 
light  on  the  after  decay  and  ruin  of  the  Missions  of  Alta  Cali 
fornia.  These  establishments,  to  which  solely  are  owing  the  set 
tlement  and  civilization  of  the  country,  have  now  entirely  fallen 
from  their  former  supremacy,  and  are  of  no  further  importance  in 
a  civil  view.  Some  facts  concerning  the  manner  of  their  down 
fall,  which  I  learned  during  my  labors  among  the  archives,  may 
be  not  inappropriately  given  here.  Henceforth,  under  the 
ascendancy  of  American  institutions,  they  have  no  longer  an 
existence :  shall  we  not,  therefore,  now  that  their  day  is  over, 
take  one  backward  glance  over  the  places  they  have  filled  and  the 
good  or  evil  they  have  accomplished  ? 

The  history  of  their  original  foundation  is  one  of  remarkable 
interest.  Through  the  perseverance  and  self-denying  labors  of  a 
few  Catholic  Priests  alone,  the  natives,  not  only  of  the  Peninsula 
and  the  Coast,  as  far  north  as  San  Francisco  Bay,  but  the  exten 
sive  provinces  of  Sonora  and  Sinaloa,  were  taught  the  arts  of 
civilized  life  and  subjected  to  the  dominion  of  Spain.  The  lives 
of  Padres  Kino,  Salvatierra  and  Ugarte  exhibit  instances  of  dan 
ger,  adventure  and  heroic  endurance  scarcely  inferior  to  those  of 
Cortez  and  Coronado.  The  great  work  they  accomplished  on  the 
Peninsula  and  in  the  Northern  Provinces  of  Mexico,  in  the  begin 
ning  of  the  last  century,  was  followed  fifty  years  later  by  Padre 
Junipero  Serra,  who  in  1769  founded  the  Mission  of  San  Diego, 
the  first  settlement  in  Alta  California.  In  the  succeeding  year 
he  landed  at  Monterey,  and  by  a  solemn  mass  which  was  per 
formed  under  an  oak-tree  still  standing  near  the  fort,  took  posses- 


RISE    OF    THE    MISSIONS.  181 

sion  of  the  spot.  After  laboring  for  thirteen  years  with  indefati 
gable  zeal  and  activity,  during  which  time  he  founded  nine  missions, 
the  good  Padre  died  in  1784,  and  was  buried  in  the  grave-yard  of 
Carmel.  His  successors  continued  the  work,  and  by  the  year 
1800  had  increased  the  number  of  Missions  to  sixteen.  Since 
that  time  only  three  more  have  been  added.  The  Missions  are 
named  and  located  as  follows  :  San  Rafael  and  San  Francisco  So- 
lano,  north  of  San  Francisco  Bay ;  Dolores,  near  San  Francisco ; 
Santa  Clara  and  San  Jose,  near  Pueblo  San  Jose ;  San  Juan, 
Santa  Cruz  and  Carmel,  near  Monterey  ;  Soledad,  San  Antonio 
and  San  Miguel,  in  the  Yalley  of  Salinas  River  ;  San  Luis  Obispo ; 
La  Purishna,  Santa  Ynez,  Santa  Barbara  and  San  Buenaventura, 
near  Santa  Barbara ;  San  Gabriel  and  San  Fernando,  near  Los 
Angeles ;  and  San  Luis  Rey,  San  Juan  Capistrano  and  Sau 
Diego,  on  the  coast,  south  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  wealth  and  power  in  the  possession  of  these  Missions  natu 
rally  excited  the  jealousy  of  Government,  after  California  was 
organized  into  a  territory.  The  padres,  however,  had  been  granted 
almost  unlimited  privileges  by  the  earlier  Viceroys,  and  for  a  long 
time  no  authority  could  be  found  to  dispossess  them.  A  decree 
of  the  Spanish  Cortes,  in  1813,  relating  to  the  Missions  of  South 
America,  was  made  the  basis  of  repeated  attempts  to  overthrow 
the  temporal  power  of  the  padres,  but  without  effect,  and  from  1800 
to  1830,  they  revelled  securely  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  their 
wealthy  establishments. 

That,  indeed,  was  their  age  of  gold — a  right  bounteous  and  pros 
perous  time,  toward  which  many  of  the  Californian  and  even  of  the 
old  American  residents,  look  back  with  regret.  Then,  each  Mis 
sion  was  a  little  principality,  with  its  hundred  thousand  acres,  and 
its  twenty  thousand  head  of  .cattle.  All  the  Indian  population, 


182  ELDORADO. 

except  the  "  Gentftes"  of  the  mountains,  were  the  subjects  of  the 
padres,  cultivating  for  them  their  broad  lands  and  reverencing 
them  with  the  same  devout  faith  as  they  did  the  patron  saint  of  the 
settlement.  The  spacious  galleries,  halls  and  courtyards  of  the 
Missions  exhibited  every  sign  of  order  and  good  government,  and 
from  the  long  rows  of  adobe  houses  flanking  them  an  obedient 
crowd  came  forth,  at  the  sound  of  morning  and  evening  chimes. 
The  tables  of  the  padres  were  laden  with  the  finest  fruits  and 
vegetables  from  their  thrifty  gardens  and  orchards,  and  flasks  ot 
excellent  wine  from  their  own  vineyards.  The  stranger  who  came 
that  way  was  entertained  with  a  lavish  hospitality  for  which  all  re 
compense  was  proudly  refused,  and  on  leaving,  was  welcome  to 
exchange  his  spent  horse  for  his  pick  out  of  the  caballada.  Nearly 
all  the  commerce  of  the  country  with  other  nations  was  in  their 
hands.  Long  habits  of  management  and  economy  gave  them  a 
great  aptitude  for  business  of  all  kinds,  and  each  succeeding  year 
witnessed  an  increase  of  their  wealth  and  authority. 

The  first  blow  given  to  their  privileges,  was  a  decree  of  the  Su 
preme  Government  of  Mexico,  dated  August  17,  1833,  by  which 
the  Missions  of  Upper  and  Lower  California  were  secularized  and 
became  public  property.  They  were  converted  by  law  into 
parishes,  and  the  padres,  from  being  virtual  sovereigns  of  their 
domains,  became  merely  curates,  possessing  only  spiritual  powers 
over  their  former  subjects.  Instead  of  managing  the  revenue  of 
the  estates,  they  were  paid  from  $2,000  to  $2,500,  at  the  option 
of  Government.  The  church  was  still  kept  for  religious  purposes, 
and  the  principal  building  for  the  curate's  house,  while  other  por 
tions  of  the  establishment  were  appropriated  to  the  purposes  of 
court-houses  and  schools. 

This  law  of  course  emancipated  .the  Indians  from  the  authority 


THEIR    DOWNFALL.  183 

of  the  padres,  and  likewise  absolved  the  latter  from  their  obliga 
tions  to  maintain  them.  To  provide  for  their  support,  therefore, 
the  Government  granted  to  every  head  of  a  family  a  lot  from  one 
to  four  hundred  varas  square,  which  was  assigned  to  the  use  of 
themselves  and  their  descendants,  but  could  not  be  sold  by  them 
under  penalty  of  the  land  reverting  back  to  the  public  domain. 
The  temporal  affairs  of  each  Mission  were  placed  under  the  charge 
of  an  Ayuntamiento,  who  was  commissioned  to  explain  to  the  In 
dians  the  new  relations,  and  put  them  in  possession  of  the  land. 
A  portion  of  the  revenue  was  applied  to  their  benefit,  and  in  re 
turn  therefor  they  were  obliged  to  assist  in  cultivating  the  common 
/ands  of  the  new  pueblos  or  parishes.  By  a  further  decree,  in 
1840,  Governor  Alvarado  substituted  majordoinos  in  place  of  the 
ayuntamientos,  giving  them  power  to  manage  the  temporal  affairs 
of  the  Missions,  but  not  to  dispose  of  the  revenues  or  contract 
debts  without  the  permission  of  Government. 

These  decrees  put  a  stop  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Missions.  The 
Padres,  seeing  the  establishments  taken  out  of  their  hands,  employed 
themselves  no  longer  in  superintending  their  cultivation  ;  while 
the  Indians,  though  free,  lost  the  patient  guidance  and  encourage 
ment  they  had  received,  and  relapsed  into  their  hereditary  habits 
of  sloth  and  stupidity.  Many  of  them  scattered  from  their  homes, 
resuming  a  roving  life  among  the  mountains,  and  very  soon  several 
of  the  Missions  almost  ceased  to  have  an  existence.  Gov.  Michel- 
torena,  therefore,  in  1843,  in  a  pompous  proclamation  setting  forth 
his  loyalty  to  the  Catholic  Faith,  attempted  to  restore  the  former 
state  of  things  by  delivering  twelve  of  the  Missions  into  the  hands 
of  the  priests.  He  declared,  at  the  same  time,  that  all  the  cattle 
and  property  should  be  given  up  to  them,  but  that  those  portions 
of  the  Mission  estates  which  had  been  granted  to  individuals  should 


184  ELDORADO. 

still  remain  in  possession  of  the  latter.  The  proclamation,  so  far 
as  I  can  learn,  never  went  into  effect,  and  the  chasing  of  Michel- 
torena  from  the  country  soon  put  an  end  to  his  plans. 

In  the  year  1845  Governor  Pio  Pico  completed  tha  obliteration 
of  the  Missions.  By  a  Government  decree  he  directed  that  the 
Missions  of  San  Juan,  Carmel,  San  Francisco  Solano  and  San 
Juan  Capistrano  should  be  sold  at  auction  on  a  specified  day. 
One  month's  notice  was  given  to  the  Indian  neophytes  of  the 
Missions  of  San  Rafael,  Dolores,  Soledad,  San  Miguel  and  La 
Purisima  to  return  to  the  cultivation  and  occupancy  of  the  lands 
assigned  them  by  Government,  otherwise  the  same  should  be  de- 

O  t/ 

clared  unoccupied  and  disposed  of  like  the  preceding.  All  the 
remaining  Missions,  except  the  Episcopal  Mansion  at  Santa  Bar 
bara,  were  to  be  rented.  Of  the  proceeds  of  these  sales  and  leases 
one-third  was  to  be  used  for  the  support  of  the  resident  priests, 
one-third  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians,  and  the  remaining  third 
constituting  the  Pious  Fund  of  California  to  be  applied  to  purposes 
of  education  and  beneficence. 

The  Indian  neophytes  of  the  five  last-named  Missions  having 
neglected  to  assemble,  Pico,  by  a  decree  in  October,  1845,  or 
dered  that  they  should  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder  ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  that  those  of  San  Fernando,  Buenaventura,  Santa 
Barbara  and  Santa  Ynez,  should  be  rented  for  the  term  of  nine 
years.  This  was  the  last  valid  decree  touching  the  Missions. 
The  remaining  Missions  of  Santa  Clara,  San  Jose,  Santa  Cruz, 
San  Antonio,  San  Luis  Obispo,  San  Gabriel  and  San  Diego  were 
therefore  thrown  immediately  into  the  hands  of  the  United  States 
after  possession  had  been  taken  by  our  troops  ;  and  all  Mission 
property  not  legally  granted  or  sold  under  the  laws  of  California, 
becomes  part  of  the  public  domain. 


EXTENT    OF    THE    MISSION    PROPERTY.  185 

I  endeavored  to  obtain  some  statistics  of  the  land,  cattle  and 
other  property  belonging  to  the  various  Missions.  The  data  on 
record,  however,  partake  of  the  same  indefinite  character  as  the 
description  of  lands  for  which  grants  are  asked.  I  found,  it  is 
true,  an  account  of  the  boundaries  of  most  of  the  Missions,  with 
the  quality  of  the  land  embraced  by  them,  but  the  particulars, 
notwithstanding  they  were  given  by  the  resident  padres  themselves, 
are  very  unsatisfactory.  The  lands  are  described  as  lying  between 
certain  hills  and  rivers,  or  embracing  certain  plains  ;  sometimes 
they  are  spoken  of  as  canadas  or  llanos  only.  Some  are  of  great 
extent ;  the  Mission  lands  of  San  Antonio  contain  two  hundred 
and  twenty -five  square  leagues  and  those  of  San  Miguel  five  hun 
dred  and  thirty-two.  The  others  vary  from  twenty  to  one  hun 
dred  square  leagues.  At  a  rough  guess,  I  should  compute  the 
original  Mission  lands  at  about  eight  millions  of  acres ;  probably 
four  to  five  millions  of  acres  have  since  been  disposed  of  by  sales 
and  grants.  The  remaining  three  millions  of  acres,  comprising 
the  finest  lands  in  California,  are  the  property  of  the  United  States. 
As  much  of  it  has  been  cultivated,  or  is  capable  of  immediate 
adaptation  for  the  planting  of  orchards,  gardens  and  vineyards,  the 
sale  or  disposal  of  it  would  seem  to  require  different  regulations 
from  those  which  govern  other  portions  of  the  public  domain. 

The  Mission  buildings  now  are  but  wrecks  of  their  former  con 
dition.  The  broken  walls,  deserted  corrals,  and  roofless  dwellings 
which  surround  them,  are  but  melancholy  evidences  of  their  an 
cient  prosperity.  Their  character  for  wealth  and  hospitality  has 
passed  away  with  the  rule  of  the  padres  and  the  vassalage  of  the 
Indians.  They  have  had  their  day.  They  have  fulfilled  (and 
nobly,  too,  be  it  acknowledged)  the  purpose  of  their  creation.  I 
see  no  cause  for  lamenting,  as  many  do,  over  their  downfall.  The 


186  ELDORADO. 

spirit  of  enterprise  which  has  now  taken  firm  root  in  the  soil,  will 
make  thoir  neglected  gardens  blossom  again,  and  deck  their  waste 
fields  with  abundant  harvests. 

A  subject  of  more  direct  interest  to  the  California  emigrants,  is 
that  of  the  character  and  validity  of  the  grants  made  to  settlers 
previous  to  the  acquisition  of  the  country.  The  extravagant  pitch 
to  which  land  speculation  has  risen,  and  the  uncertain  tenure  by 
which  many  of  the  best  locations  along  the  coast  are  held,  render 
some  official  examination  and  adjustment  very  necessary.  The 
amount  of  speculation  which  has  already  been  done  on  an  insecure 
basis,  will  give  rise  to  endless  litigation,  when  the  proper  tribunal 
shall  have  been  established.  Meanwhile,  a  brief  account  of  the 
character  of  the  grants,  derived  partly  from  Capt.  Halleck's  ad 
mirable  Report  on  California  Affairs  and  partly  from  an  examina 
tion  of  the  grants  themselves,  may  not  be  without  its  interest  and 
uses. 

The  first  general  decree  for  the  granting  of  lands  bears  date  of 
June,  1779,  when  Governor  Neve,  then  established  at  Monterey, 
drew  up  a  series  of  regulations,  which  were  approved  by  the  King 
of  Spain,  and  for  more  than  forty  years  remained  in  force,  with 
little  modification,  throughout  the  territory.  To  each  poUador 
(settler)  was  granted  a  bounty  of  $116  44  per  annum  for  the  first 
two  years,  and  $60  per  annum  for  the  three  following,  with  the 
loan  of  horses,  cattle  and  farming  utensils  from  the  Government 
supplies.  Settlers  in  pueblos,  or  towns,  had  likewise  the  privilege 
of  pasturing  their  stock  on  the  lands  belonging  to  the  town.  Many 
of  the  minor  regulations  established  in  this  decree  of  Grov.  Neve, 
are  sufficiently  amusing.  For  instance,  no  poblador  is  allowed  to 
sell  any  of  his  animals,  until  he  shall  possess  fifteen  mares  and  one 
stallion,  fifteen  cows  and  one  bull,  and  so  on,  down  to  cocks  and 


THE    LAW    FOR    GRANTING    LANDS.  187 

hens.  lib  must  tlun  s-jll  liis  cxt.a  stock  to  the  Government,  which 
of  course  pays  its  own  price. 

These  regulations,  designed  only  for  the  first  rude  stage  of 
colonization,  were  superseded  by  the  decree  of  the  Mexican  Re 
public  for  the  colonization  of  its  Territories,  dated  Aug.  18,  1824, 
which  was  further  limited  and  defined  by  a  series  of  regulations, 
dated  Nov.  21,  1828.  Up  to  the  time  when  California  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  United  States,  no  modifications  were  made 
to  these  acts,  and  they  consequently  remain  in  force.  Their  most 
important  provisions  are  as  follows  : 

The  Governor  of  the  Territory  is  empowered  to  make  grants 
of  lands  to  contractors  (for  towns  or  colonies )  and  individuals  or 
heads  of  families.  Grants  of  the  first-named  class  require  the  ap 
proval  of  the  Supreme  Government  to  make  them  valid.  For  the 
latter  the  ratification  of  the  Territorial  Assembly  is  necessary ; 
but  in  no  case  can  the  Governor  make  grants  of  any  land  lying 
within  ten  leagues  of  the  sea-coast  or  within  twenty  leagues  of 
the  boundaries  of  any  foreign  power,  without  the  previous  ap 
proval  of  the  Supreme  Government.  The  authorities  of  towns, 
however,  are  allowed  to  dispose  of  lands  lying  within  the  town 
limits,  the  proceeds  to  be  paid  into  the  municipal  fund.  The 
maximum  extent  of  a  single  grant  is  fixed  at  one  square  league  of 
irrigable  land,  four  of  temporal,  or  land  where  produce  depends  on 
the  seasons,  and  six  of  land  for  pasturing  and  rearing  cattle — 
eleven  square  leagues  (about  fifty  thousand  acresj  in  all.  The 
minimum  extent  is  two  hundred  varas  square  (a  vara  is  a  little 
less  than  a  yard)  of  irrigable  land,  eight  hundred  of  temporal,  and 
twelve  hundred  of  pasturage.  The  size  of  a  house  lot  in  any  of 
the  pueblos  is  fixed  at  one  hundred  varas.  The  irregular  spaces 
ond  patches  lying  between  the  boundaries  of  grants  throughout 


188  ELDORADO. 

the  country  are  to  be  distributed  among  the  colonists  who  occupy 
the  adjoining  land,  or  their  children,  preference  being  given  to 
those  who  have  distinguished  themselves  by  their  industry  and 
moral  deportment. 

All  grants  not  made  in  accordance  with  these  regulations,  from 
the  time  of  their  adoption  up  to  July  7, 1846,  when  the  American 
flag  was  raised  at  Monterey  and  the  Departmental  Junta  broken 
up,  are  not  strictly  valid,  according  to  Mexican  law.  The  re 
strictions  against  lands  within  ten  leagues  of  the  sea-coast  \\  ere 
never  removed.  The  only  legal  grant  of  such  land,  was  that  made 
to  Captain  Stephen  Smith,  of  the  port  of  Bodega,  which  received 
the  approval  of  the  Supreme  Government.  In  the  Macnamara 
Colonization  Grant,  made  by  Pio  Pico,  only  four  days  before  the 
occupation  of  Monterey  by  our  forces,  it  is  expressly  stated  that 
the  consent  of  the  Mexican  Government  is  necessary  to  make  it 
valid.  Yet,  in  spite  of  this  distinct  provision,  large  tracts  of  this 
coast,  from  San  Francisco  to  San  Diego,  were  granted  to  citizens 
and  colonists  by  Figueroa,  Alvarado  and  other  Governors.  All 
these  acts,  having  never  received  the  sanction  of  the  Supreme 
Government,  would,  by  a  literal  construction  of  the  lav  ,oe  null 
and  void.  The  Supreme  Government  of  Mexico  always  reserved 
to  itself  the  right  of  using  any  portion  of  the  coast,  promontories, 
harbors  or  public  land  of  the  interior,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
yforts,  arsenals  or  national  storehouses. 

There  are  on  file  in  the  archives  about  five  hundred  and  eighty 
grants,  made  by  various  Governors  between  1828  and  1846. 
Probably  one  hundred  of  these  lack  the  full  requirements  of  the 
Mexican  law — exclusive  of  those  located  on  the  sea-coast.  Some 
are  complete  and  satisfactory  in  all  respects,  to  the  signature  of 
the  Governor,  but  the  concurrence  of  ths  Territorial  Assembly 


UNCERTAIN    BOUNDARIES    OF    GRANTS.  189 

is  wanting.  In  others  the  final  concession  is  withheld  for  the  pur 
pose  of  procuring  further  information.  Others  again,  appear  to 
have  been  neglected  by  the  proper  authorities,  and  a  few,  on  fur 
ther  testimony,  have  been  denied.  As  the  owners  of  such  lands, 
in  many  instances,  are  entirely  unaware  of  the  imperfect  nature 
of  their  titles,  many  sales  and  transfers  have  been  made  in  good 
faith,  which  will  hereafter  be  invalidated.  Some  individuals  have 
acted  in  a  more  reprehensible  manner,  by  making  sales  of  lands  to 
which  they  had  no  legal  claim. 

In  settling  the  boundaries  of  grants,  which  are  sound  in  every 
respect,  there  will  nevertheless  be  some  difficulty.  Much  of  the 
land  was  never  surveyed,  the  locality  and  character  being  rudely 
sketched  on  paper  by  the  petitioner,  sometimes  without  any  speci 
fied  extent,  and  sometimes  with  a  guess  at  the  quantity,  which  is 
often  very  wide  of  the  mark.  Such  sketch,  or  topographical  out 
line  is,  I  believe,  required  by  law,  and  the  collection  embraced  in  the 
number  of  grants  and  applications  on  file,  exhibits  a  most  curious  va 
riety  of  attempts  at  drawing.  In  the  absence  of  any  further  clue, 
it  would  be  difficult  to  find  many  of  the  localities  or  anything  in 
the  least  resembling  them.  The  boundaries  are  frequently  given 
as  included  within  certain  hills,  arroyos,  rivers  and  marshes,  but 
the  space  so  designated  frequently  contains  double  the  amount  of 
land  asked  for. 

On  the  lands  throughout  the  country,  known  and  recognized  as 
belonging  to  the  United  States,  a  number  of  emigrants  have 
established  themselves,  making  choice  of  advantageous,  locations, 
and  trusting  to  obtain  possession  by  right  of  preeminence  as  set 
tlers.  Nearly  all  of  the  fords  on  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  and  their  tributaries — the  springs  and  meadow  lands  at 
the  bases  of  the  mountains — and  all  sites  which  seem  calculated 


190  ELDORADO. 

for  future  towns  or  villages — have  been  appropriated  in  like  man 
ner.  The  discovery  of  gold  has  rendered  any  bounty  unneces 
sary,  to  promote  emigration. 

I  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  exact  extent  of  granted  land  in 
California,  as  well  as  the  amount  which  will  remain  to  the  United 
States  ;  but  owing  to  the  indefinite  character  of  many  of  the 
grants,  and  the  absence  of  correct  statistical  information,  was 
unable  fully  to  succeed.  The  geographical  limits  within  which 
the  grants  are  embraced,  are  more  easily  traced.  By  referring  to 
Fremont's  Map  of  California,  a  line  drawn  from  the  mouth  of 
Russian  River,  on  the  Pacific,  north  of  Bodega,  to  the  mouth  of 
Rio  Chico,  a  tributary  of  the  Sacramento,  and  continued  to  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  would  comprise  the  northern  limit.  From  this  line 
to  the  Oregon  boundary — a  region  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in 
length  by  two  hundred  in  breadth — belongs  to  the  public  domain. 
The  land  about  the  mouths  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin, 
with  some  tracts  on  the  Rio  Americano,  Cosumne,  Calaveras 
and  Mariposa,  is  included  in  various  grants,  but  the  remainder 
of  the  settled  land  as  you  go  southward,  is  upon  the  western  side 
of  the  Coast  Range,  and  all  of  it  within  ninety  miles  of  the 
sea.  The  best  agricultural  districts — those  of  Napa,  San  Jose 
and  Los  Angeles — are  already  settled  and  cultivated,  but  the 
upper  portion  of  the  Sacramento  country,  the  valleys  of  Trinity 
River  and  Russian  River,  and  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Ne 
vada,  embrace  a  great  deal  of  arable  land  of  excellent  quality. 
The  valleys  of  the  Coast  Range  north  of  San  Francisco  Bay  have 
been  but  partially  explored. 

The  entire  gold  district  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  belongs  to  the 
United  States,  with  the  exception  of  Johnson's  Ranche  on  Bear 
Creek,  Sutter's  possessions  on  the  Rio  Americano,  a  grant  on  the 


DISPOSITION    OF    THE    GOLD    LAND.  191 

Cosumue,  and  Alvarado's  Ranche  on  the  Mariposa,  now  in  posses 
sion  of  Col.  Fremont.  Some  anxiety  is  felt  among  the  mining 
population,  as  to  the  disposition  which  the  Government  will  make 
of  these  vast  storehouses  of  wealth.  The  day  before  the  -adjourn 
ment  of  the  Convention,  a  resolution  was  offered,  requesting  Con 
gress  not  to  dispose  of  any  part  of  the  gold  region,  but  to  suffer  it 
to  remain  free  to  all  American  citizens.  It  was  defeated  by  a 
bare  majority,  but  many  of  those  voting  nay,  avowed  themselves 
in  favor  of  the  spirit  of  the  resolution,  objecting  to  its  adoption  on 
the  ground  of  propriety  alone.  The  population,  generally,  is  op 
posed  to  the  sale  of  gold  land  for  the  reason  that  it  would  proba 
bly  fall  into  the  hands  of  speculators,  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
mining  class.  The  lease  of  land  would  present  the  same  objec 
tions,  besides  being  but  an  uncertain  privilege.  The  fairest  and 
most  satisfactory  course  would  be  the  imposition  of  a  small  per 
centage  on  the  amount  of  gold  actually  dug  or  washed  out  by 
each  individual  or  company.  The  miners  would  not  object  to 
this  ;  they  only  oppose  any  regulation  which  would  give  specula 
tors  a  chance  to  elbow  them  out  of  their  '  bars'  and  '  pockets.' 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

RETURN    TO    SAN    FRANCISCO. 

AFTER  the  adjournment  of  the  Convention,  Monterey  relapsed 
into  its  former  quiet,  and  I  soon  began  to  feel  the  old  impatience 
and  longing  for  motion  and  change.  The  season  was  waning,  and 
barely  time  enough  remained  for  the  accomplishment  of  my  de 
sign  of  a  journey  to  the  head  of  the  Sacramento  Valley.  My 
friend,  Lieut.  Beale,  with  whom  I  had  beguiled  many  an  hour  in 
tracing  out  plans  for  overland  journeys  and  explorations,  which 
should  combine  a  spice  of  bold  adventure  with  the  acquisition  of 
permanently  useful  knowledge,  had  left  a  week  previous,  in  com 
pany  with  Col.  Fremont  and  his  -family.  A  heavy  fog  had  for 
several  days  lain  like  a  bar  across  the  mouth  of  the  bay,  and  we 
feared  that  the  anxiously-awaited  steamer  from  Panama  would 
pass  without  touching.  This  was  a  question  of  interest,  as  there 
had  been  no  mail  from  the  Atlantic  States  for  more  than  two 
months,  and  the  general  impatience  on  that  account  was  painful 
to  witness.  Under  these  circumstances,  I  grew  tired  of  looking 
on  the  fresh,  sparkling,  intense  blue  of  the  bay  and  the  dewy- 
violet  shadows  of  the  mountains  beyond  it,  and  so  one  fine  morn 
ing  thrust  my  few  moveables  into  my  knapsack  and  rolled  up  my 
sarape  for  a  start. 


JOURNEY    IN    AN    AMBULANCE.  193 

I  had  a  better  reliance  than  my  own  feet,  in  making  the  jour 
ney  Mr.  Semple,  ex-President  of  the  Convention,  with  his  son 
and  two  of  the  ex-Clerks,  were  about  leaving,  and  I  was  offered 
the  means  of  conveyance  as  far  as  Pueblo  San  Jose.  Mr.  Semple 
was  barely  recovering  from  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever,  and 
was  obliged  to  be  conveyed  in  an  army  ambulance,  which  was 
furnished  by  Capt.  Kane,  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 
We  started  at  noon,  under  a  hot,  bright  sun,  though  the  entrance 
to  the  bay  was  still  covered  by  the  bar  of  dark  fog.  The  steamer 
Unicorn  was  anxiously  expected,  and  as  a  gun  had  been  heard 
during  the  night,  Gen.  Riley  ordered  a  shot  to  be  fired  from  the 
fort  every  half-hour,  as  a  guide  for  the  steamer,  should  she  be 
outside.  Had  there  been  any  certainty  of  her  arrival,  our  haste 
to  receive  the  long-delayed  mail  would  have  induced  us  to  post 
pone  the  journey. 

We  toiled  through  the  desolate  sand-hills  to  the  Salinas  River, 
and  lanched  again  upon  its  broad,  level  plains.  Our  team  con 
sisted  of  four  Californian  horses,  neither  of  which  had  ever  been  a 
week  in  harness,  and  consequently  were  not  broken  of  the  dashing 
gait  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed.  The  driver  was  an 
emigrant  who  arrived  two  months  previous,  by  the  Gila  route, 
after  suffering  the  most  terrible  privations.  We  had  all  our  pro 
visions,  blankets  and  camping  utensils  stowed  in  the  ambulance, 
and  as  it  was  not  large  enough  to  contain  our  bodies  likewise,  two 
of  the  party  followed  in  a  light  wagon.  Under  the  steady  gallop 
at  which  our  fiery  horses  drew  us,  the  blue  ridges  of  the  Sierra  de 
Gavilan  soon  rose  high  and  bleak  before  us,  and  the  timbered 
shores  of  the  plain  came  in  sight.  Our  crossing  of  the  arroyos 
would  have  startled  even  an  Alleghany  stage-driver.  When  one 
of  these  huge  gullies  yawned  before  us,  there  was  no  check  of  our 

VOL.  r.       9 


194  ELDORADO. 

speed.  We  dashed  sheer  off  the  brink  at  an  angle  of  fifty  de 
grees  ;  there  was  a  giddy  sensation  of  falling  for  an  instant,  and 
in  the  next  our  heavy  vehicle  regained  the  level,  carried  half-way 
up  the  opposite  steep  by  the  momentum  of  our  descent.  The 
excitement  of  such  a  plunge  was  delightful :  the  leaping  of  a  five- 
barred  gate  on  an  English  hunter  would  have  been  tame  to  it. 

On  the  skirt  of  the  timber  Mr.  Semple  pointed  out  the  scene  of 
a  battle  between  the  Californian  and  American  troops,  during  the 
war.  Foster,  a  scout  belonging  to  the  company  of  Emigrant  Vo 
lunteers,  while  reconnoitering  along  the  bases  of  the  mountains, 
discovered  a  body  of  two  hundred  Californians  on  the  plain.  He 
immediately  sent  word  to  Burrows'  company  of  Americans,  then 
at  the  Mission  San  Juan,  and  in  the  meantime  attacked  them  with 
the  small  force  accompanying  him.  The  fight  was  carried  on 
among  the  trees.  When  the  Americans — sixty-six  in  all — arrived 
on  the  field,  they  found  Foster  dead,  with  eleven  wounds  on  his 
body.  Four  Americans  and  seven  Californians  were  shot  in  the 
fight,  which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  latter  and  their  retreat 
up  the  plains  to  their  post  at  the  Mission  of  Soledad.  Foster  was 
buried  where  he  fell,  under  a  large  oak,  near  the  road. 

We  entered  the  mountains,  and  encamped  about  dusk  in  a 
sheltered  glen,  watered  by  a  little  stream.  Some  benevolent  pre 
decessor  had  left  us  a  good  stock  of  wood,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
ruddy  lights  of  our  fire  were  dancing  over  the  gnarlod  oak-boughs, 
and  their  streamers  of  grey  moss.  I  tried  my  hand,  for  the  first 
time,  at  making  coffee,  while  the  others  spitted  pieces  of  meat  on 
long  twigs  and  thrust  them  into  the  blazo.  My  coffee  was  approved 
by  the  company,  and  the  seasoning  of  the  keen  mountain  air  was 
not  lost  on  our  meal.  The  pipe  of  peace — never  omitted  by  the 
genuine  trapper  or  mountaineer — followed  ;  after  which  we  spread 


NIGHT    AND    MORNING    IN    THE    MOUNTAINS.  195 

our  blankets  on  the  ground  and  looked  at  the  stars  through  the 
chinks  of  the  boughs,  till  we  dropped  asleep.  There  is  no  rest  so 
sweet  as  that  taken  on  the  hard  bosom  of  Mother  Earth.  I  slept 
soundly  in  our  spacious  bed-chamber,  undisturbed  even  by  the  con 
tinued  barking  whine  of  the  coyotes.  The  cool,  sparkling  dawn 
called  us  up  betimes,  to  rekindle  the  fire  and  resume  cooking. 
When  the  sun  made  his  appearance  above  the  hills,  our  driver  said : 
"  There  comes  old  Hannah,  to  open  the  shutters  of  our  house  and 
let  in  the  light" — the  most  ludicrous  combination  of  scullionish 
and  poetical  ideas  it  was  ever  my  lot  to  hear.  I  must  acknowledge, 
however,  that  "  Old  Hannah"  did  her  office  well,  giving  our  house 
the  most  cheery  illumination. 

As  we  wound  through  the  lonely  passes  of  the  mountains,  Mr. 
Semple  pointed  out  many  spots  where  he  had  hidden  on  his  night- 
rides  as  messenger  between  San  Francisco  and  Monterey  during 
the  war.  From  some  of  the  heights  we  looked  down  valleys  that 
stretched  away  towards  Santa  Cruz,  and  could  discern  the  dark 
lines  of  redwood  timber  along  their  border.  The  forest  near  the 
Mission  contains  the  largest  specimens  of  this  tree  to  be  found  in 
California,  some  of  the  trunks,  as  I  was  credibly  informed,  mea 
suring  fifteen  feet  in  diameter.  Captain  Graham,  an  old  settler, 
had  five  saw-mills  in  operation,  which  he  leased  to  speculators  at 
the  rate  of  fifty  dollars  per  day  for  each.  The  timber  is  soft  and 
easily  worked,  susceptible  of  a  fine  polish,  and  when  kept  dry,  as 
in  the  interior  of  buildings,  will  last  for  centuries. 

Midway  down  one  of  the  long  descents,  we  met  Messrs.  Marcy 
and  Tefft,  who  had  been  to  San  Francisco  to  attend  to  the  printing 
of  the  Constitution,  bundles  of  which,  in  English  and  Spanish, 
were  strapped  to  their  saddles.  Our  next  incident  was  the  dis 
covery  of  three  grizzly  bears,  on  the  side  of  a  cafiada,  about  a 


196  ELDORADO. 

quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  Mr.  Semple,  who,  with  the  keen  sight 
of  one  accustomed  to  mountain  life,  was  on  the  alert  for  game,  first 
espied  them.  They  were  moving  lazily  among  a  cluster  of  oaks; 
their  bodies  were,  apparently,  as  large  as  that  of  a  mule,  but  an 
experienced  eye  could  at  once  detect  the  greater  thickness  and 
shortness  of  their  legs.  We  had  no  other  arms  than  pistols  and 
knives,  and  no  horses  of  sufficient  fleetness  to  have  ventured  an 
attack  with  safety  ;  so  we  passed  on  with  many  a  wistful  and  lin 
gering  look,  for  the  gray  hide  of  one  of  those  huge  beasts  would 
have  been  a  trophy  well  worth  the  capture.  Indeed,  the  oldest 
hunter,  when  he  meets  a  grizzly  bear,  prefers  making  a  boy's  bar 
gain — "  If  you'll  let  me  alone,  I'll  let  you  alone."  They  are 
rarely  known  to  attack  a  man  when  unprovoked,  but  when  wounded 
no  Indian  tiger  is  more  formidable. 

Towards  noon  we  reached  the  Mission  San  Juan.  The  bands 
of  emigrants  from  the  South  had  stripped  all  the  fruit-trees  in  its 
gardens,  but  at  a  tienda  in  the  Mission  building,  we  were  supplied 
with  pears  at  the  rate  of  three  for  a  real — plump,  luscious  fruit, 
with  russet  peel,  and  so  mellow  that  they  would  scarcely  bear 
handling.  While  we  were  idling  an  hour  in  the  warm  corridor, 
trying  to  maintain  a  conversation  in  Spanish  with  some  of  the  na 
tives,  a  brother  of  Mr.  Semple,  who  had  come  from  Benicia  to 
meet  him,  rode  up  to  the  inn.  He  had  a  gray  horse,  whose  trot 
was  remarkably  rough,  and  at  his  request  I  changed  places,  giving 
up  to  him  my  seat  in  the  ambulance.  We  dashed  out  on  the  plain 
of  San  Juan  at  a  full  gallop,  but  my  perverse  animal  soon  lagged 
behind.  He  was  what  is  called  a  "  Snake  horse,"  of  the  breed 
owned  by  the  Snake  Indians  in  Oregon,  whence,  in  fact,  he  had 
been  brought,  still  retaining  the  steady,  deliberate  pace  at  which 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  haul  lodge-poles,  His  trot  was  rack- 


FORDING    THE    PAJARO    RIVER.  197 

ing,  and  as  a  final  resort  to  procure  a  gallop,  I  borrowed  a  pair  of 
very  sharp  spurs  from  our  driver.  At  the  first  touch  the  old  Snake 
started  ;  at  the  second  he  laid  his  ears  flatly  back,  gave  a  snort 
and  sprang  forward  with  galvanic  energy,  taking  me  far  in  advance 
of  the  flying  ambulance.  It  was  so  long  since  he  had  traveled 
such  a  pace  that  he  seemed  as  much  astonished  as  I  was  at  the 
effect  of  my  spurs. 

The  ambulance  at  last  reached  the  Pajaro  River,  which  flowed 
between  deep  and  precipitous  banks.  The  four  horses  plunged 
down  the  declivity  ;  the  ambulance  followed  with  a  terrible  shock, 
which  urged  it  into  the  middle  of  the  stream,  where  it  stuck,  the 
king-bolt  having  been  snapped  off.  We  partly  stripped,  and  aftei 
working  an  hour  with  the  ice-cold  water  above  our  knees,  succeeded 
in  fastening  with  chains  the  fragment  of  the  bolt.  It  was  no\9 
dinner-time,  and  we  soon  had  a  blaze  among  the  willows  and  a  pot 
of  coffee  boiling  before  it.  The  beverage,  which  never  tasted  more 
refreshing,  sent  a  fine  glow  into  our  benumbed  nether  limbs,  and 
put  us  into  traveling  humor  again.  The  Pajaro  Plains,  around 
the  head  of  the  river,  are  finely  watered,  and  under  proper  culti 
vation  would  produce  splendid  crops.  From  the  ridge  descending 
to  the  valley  of  San  Jose  we  overlooked  their  broad  expanse.  The 
meadows  were  still  green,  and  the  belts  of  stately  sycamore  had 
not  yet  shed  a  leaf.  I  hailed  the  beautiful  valley  with  pleasure, 
although  its  soil  was  more  parched  and  arid  than  when  I  passed 
before,  and  the  wild  oats  on  the  mountains  rolled  no  longer  in 
waves  of  gold.  Their  sides  were  brown  and  naked  to  desolation  ; 
the  dead  umber  color  of  the  landscape,  towards  sunset,  was  more 
cheerless  than  a  mid-November  storm.  A  traveler  seeing  Cali 
fornia  only  at  this  season,  would  never  be  tempted  to  settle. 
As  we  journeyed  down  the  valley,  flocks  of  wild  geese  and 


198  ELDORADO. 

brant,  cleaving  the  air  with  their  arrow-shaped  lines,  descended  to 
their  roost  in  the  meadows.  On  their  favorite  grounds,  near  the 
head  of  Pajaro  River,  they  congregated  to  the  number  of  millions, 
hundreds  of  acres  being  in  many  places  actually  hidden  under 
their  dense  ranks.  They  form  in  columns  as  they  alight,  and 
their  stations  at  roost  are  as  regularly  arranged  as  in  any  military 
camp.  As  the  season  advances  and  their  number  is  increased  by 
new  arrivals,  they  become  so  regardless  of  human  presence  that 
the  rancheros  kill  large  quantities  with  clubs.  The  native 
children  have  a  curious  method  of  entrapping  them  while  on  the 
wing.  They  tie  two  bones  at  the  ends  of  a  string  about  a  yard  in 
length,  which  they  hurl  into  the  air  so  skilfully  that  in  falling  it 
forms  an  arch.  As  the  geese  fly  low,  this  instrument,  dropping 
into  a  flock,  generally  takes  one  of  them  across  the  neck ;  the 
bones  fall  on  each  side  and  drag  the  goose  to  the  earth,  where  he 
is  at  once  seized  and  dispatched. 

We  passed  Murphy's  Ranche  and  the  splendid  peak  of  El  Toro 
and  reached  Fisher's  Ranche  as  the  blaze  of  camp-fires  under  the 
sycamores  was  beginning  to  show  through  the  dusk.  Here  we 
found  Major  Hill,  who,  with  Mr.  Durivage  and  Midshipman 
Games,  with  six  men  from  the  wreck  of  the  propeller  Edith,  had 
left  Monterey  the  day  before  ourselves.  Their  fire  was  kindled, 
the  cooking  implements  in  order,  and  several  of  the  party  em 
ployed  in  the  task  of  picking  three  wild  geese  and  preparing  them 
for  the  pan.  While  at  supper,  one  of  Capt.  Fisher's  men  excited 
the  sporting  propensities  of  some  of  our  party  by  describing  a 
lake  in  the  valley,  where  the  geese  roosted  in  immense  quantities. 
As  it  was  not  more  than  a  mile  distant,  muskets  were  got  ready 
and  four  of  the  sportsmen  set  out  by  moonlight.  They  found 
some  difficulty,  however,  in  fishing  out  the  geese  after  they  were 


A    SIROCCO    IN    SAN    JOSE.  199 

shot,  and  only  brought  two  with  them  at  midnight.  I,  who  was 
fatigued  with  my  management  of  the  Snake  horse,  crept  into  a 
cart-bed  near  the  Ranche,  laid  a  raw-hide  over  the  top  and  was 
soon  floating  adrift  on  a  sea  of  dreams. 

We  had  harnessed  and  were  off  before  the  daybreak  brightened 
into  sunrise.  As  we  passed  the  last  mountain  headland  and  the 
mouth  of  the  valley  lay  wide  before  us,  I  noticed  a  dim  vapor  over 
the  place  where  the  Pueblo  San  Jose  should  stand.  The  reason 
of  this  was  explained  when  we  reached  the  entrance  of  the  town. 
We  were  met  by  a  hurricane  of  dust  which  for  several  minutes 
prevented  our  advancing  a  step ;  the  adobe  houses  on  each  side 
were  completely  hidden,  and  we  could  only  breathe  by  covering 
our  faces  with  the  loose  folds  of  our  jackets.  Some  wind  intended 
for  San  Francisco  had  got  astray  among  the  mountains,  and  com 
ing  on  San  Jose  unawares,  had  put  in  motion  all  the  dust  that  had 
been  quietly  accumulating  during  the  summer. 

The  two  weeks  which  had  elapsed  since  San  Jose  had  been 
made  a  capital,  were  sufficient  to  have  created  a  wonderful  change 
What  with  tents  and  houses  of  wood  and  canvas,  in  hot  haste 
thrown  up,  the  town  seemed  to  have  doubled  in  size.  The  dusty 
streets  were  thronged  with  people  ;  goods,  for  lack  of  storage 
room,  stood  in  large  piles  beside  the  doors  ;  the  sound  of  saw  and 
hammer,  and  the  rattling  of  laden  carts,  were  incessant.  The 
Legislative  Building — a  two-story  adobe  house  built  at  the  town's 
expense — was  nearly  finished.  Hotels  were  springing  up  in  all 
quarters  ;  French  restaurateurs  hung  out  their  signs  on  little  one- 
story  shanties  ;  the  shrewd  Celestials  had  already  planted  them 
selves  there,  and  summoned  men  to  meals  by  the  sound  of  their 
barbaric  gongs.  Our  old  stopping-place,  the  "  Miner's  Home," 
was  converted  into  a  "  City  Hotel,"  and  when  we  drew  up  before 


200  ELDORADO. 

the  door,  we  were  instantly  surrounded  by  purveyors  from  rival 
establishments,  offering  to  purchase  the  two  wild  geese  which 
hung  at  the  wagon-tail.  The  roads  to  Monterey,  to  Stockton,  to 
San  Francisco,  and  to  the  Embarcadero,  were  stirring  with  con 
tinual  travel.  The  price  of  lots  had  nearly  doubled  in  consequence 
of  this  change,  so  that  the  town  lost  nothing  by  its  gift  of  the 
legislative  building  to  Government. 

The  ambulance,  carrying  Mr.  Semple,  set  out  for  Benicia  along 
the  eastern  shore  of  San  Francisco  Bay.  Those  of  us  who  were 
bound  for  San  Francisco  made  search  for  other  conveyances. 
Hearing  that  a  launch  was  about  starting,  I  walked  down  to  the 
Embarcadero,  about  seven  miles  distant,  where  I  found  a  dozen 
vessels  anchored  in  an  estuary  which  ran  up  among  the  tule. 
One  of  them  was  to  leave  that  night  at  ten  o'clock  ;  the  fare  was 
$10,  and  the  tune  dependent  on  the  wind,  but  usually  varying  from 
two  to  four  days.  I  gave  up  the  chance  at  once,  and  retracing 
my  steps  to  the  nearest  ford,  crossed  Coyote  River  and  struck 
across  the  meadows  towards  Whisman's  Ranche,  which  I  reached 
after  two  hours'  walk.  Evening  came  on  while  I  was  journeying 
alone  in  the  midst  of  the  boundless  landscape — boundless,  but  for 
the  shadowy  mountain-piles  which  lay  along  the  horizon,  seeming, 
through  the  haze,  like  the  hills  of  another  planet  which  had 
touched  the  skirts  of  the  globe  on  its  journey  through  space. 
Long  lines  of  geese  and  brant  sailed  through  the  air,  and  the  white 
crane,  from  his  covert  on  the  edge  of  the  marsh,  uttered  at  inter 
vals  his  strong,  guttural  cry.  As  the  sunset  gathered  to  a  blaze, 
the  mountains  across  the  bay  were  suffused  with  a  rosy  purple 
tint,  while  those  against  the  western  sky  stood  in  deep  violet 
shadow.  At  last,  the  sounds  of  animal  life  died  away  on  the  plain, 
and  the  stars  were  gradually  kindled  in  the  cloudless  firmament 


NIGHT-CAMP    UNDER    THE    OAKS.  201 

By  this  time  I  had  approached  a  fine  old  grove,  detached  from 
the  shore  of  timber.  The  sound  of  musket  shots  and  the  braying 
of  mules  told  that  a  party  had  encamped  there.  No  sooner  had 
I  reached  the  shadow  of  the  trees  than  my  name  was  shouted,  and  I 
recognized  Major  Hill  and  my  other  friends  of  his  party.  I  threw 
down  my  sarape,  took  a  seat  among  them  and  employed  myself 
on  the  breast  of  a  goose.  We  sat  cross-legged  around  a  glowing 
fire,  passing  the  pans  and  cups  from  hand  to  hand,  and  using 
fingers  or  knives  according  to  the  toughness  of  the  meat.  The 
mules  were  picketed  among  the  oats  which  grew  knee-deep  under 
the  trees,  and  a  few  paces  off,  around  a  still  larger  fire,  the  sailors 
and  teamsters  brewed  their  bucket  of  tea  and  broiled  their  huge 
slices  of  beef.  Our  meal  over,  we  lighted  our  puros  and  stretched 
out  at  full  length  on  the  grass,  enjoying  to  the  full  the  quiet  of  the 
place  and  the  soothing  influence  of  the  weed.  And  then  came 
rest — rest  delicious  anywhere,  but  doubly  so  under  the  broad  arms 
of  the  evergreen  oak,  with  the  full  clear  flood  of  moonlight  broken 
into  a  thousand  minute  streams  on  the  turf.  It  was  a  long  time 
before  I  could  compose  myself  to  sleep.  The  solemn  repose  of 
the  grove — the  deep  shadows  of  the  trees — the  far,  misty,  silvery 
glimpses  of  plain  through  the  openings — wrought  powerfully  on 
my  imagination  and  kept  every  faculty  keenly  alive.  Even  in 
sleep  the  impression  remained,  and  when  I  awoke  in  the  night,  it 
was  with  a  happy  thrill  at  opening  my  eyes  on  the  same  maze  of 
moonlight  and  foliage. 

The  next  day  I  accompanied  the  party  on  foot,  taking  an  oc 
casional  lift  with  the  sailors  in  the  wagon.  The  jolly  tars  were  not 
at  home  on  dry  land,  and  seemed  impatient  to  see  the  end  of  the 
journey.  The  driver  was  enjoined  to  keep  a  good  look-out  from 
the  fore-top  (the  saddle-mule.)  "Breakers  ahead!"  shouted 


202  ELDORADO. 

Jack,  wh3n  we  camo  to  an  arroyo  ;  "  hard  up  !"  was  the  answer. 
"  Take  a  reef  in  the  aft  wheel !"  was  the.  order  of  the  driver. 
The  lock  was  clapped  on,  and  we  rode  in  triumph  into  a  smoother 
sea.  "We  nooned  at  Sanchez'  Ranche,  reached  the  Mission  Dolorea 
at  dusk,  and  started  over  the  sand-hills  in  the  moonlight.  The 
jaded  team  stalled  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hill  but  was  afterwards 
got  off  by  unloading  the  wagon.  I  pushed  on  ahead,  hearing  the 
bustle  and  mingled  sounds  of  the  town,  long  before  I  reached  it 
I  struck  the  suburbs  half  a  mile  sooner  than  on  my  previous  re 
turn,  and  from  the  first  rise  in^the  sand  had  an  indistinct  view  of 
a  place  twice  as  large  as  I  had  left.  I  was  too  weary,  however  to 
take  a  long  survey,  but  went  directly  to  the  Post  Office,  where  I 
found  Mr.  Moore  and  his  sons  as  cheerful,  active  and  enterprising 
as  ever,  and  was  again  installed  in  a  comfortable  nook  of  the 
garret. 


CHAPTER  XX, 

SAN    FRANCISCO    AGAIN POST-OFFICE    EXPERIENCES. 

DURING  my  absence  in  Monterey,  more  than  four  thousand  emi 
grants  by  sea  had  landed  in  San  Francisco.  The  excitement 
relative  to  gold-digging  had  been  kept  up  by  new  discoveries  on 
the  various  rivers  ;  the  rage  for  land  speculation  had  increased  , 
and  to  all  this  was  added  the  gathering  heat  of  political  conflict. 
San  Francisco  was  something  of  a  whirlpool  before,  but  now  it  had 
widened  its  sweeps  and  seemed  to  be  drawing  everything  into  its 
vortex. 

The  morning  after  I  arrived,  I  went  about  the  town  to  note  the 
changes  and  improvements.  I  could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes. 
The  northern  point,  where  the  Bay  pours  its  waters  into  the 
Golden  Grate,  was  covered  with  houses  nearly  to  the  summit — 
many  of  them  large  three-story  warehouses.  The  central  and 
highest  hill  on  which  the  town  is  built,  was  shorn  of  its  chapparal 
and  studded  with  tents  and  dwellings  ;  while  to  the  eastward 
the  streets  had  passed  over  the  last  of  the  three  hills,  and  were 
beginning  to  encroach  on  the  Happy  Valley.  The  beautiful 
crescent  of  the  harbor,  stretching  from  the  Kincon  to  Fort  Mont 
gomery,  a  distance  of  more  than  a  mile,  was  lined  with  boats, 
tents  and  warehouses,  and  near  the  latter  point,  several  piers  jut 
ted  into  the  water.  Montgomery  street,  fronting  the  Bay,  had 


204  ELDORADO. 

undergone  a  marvellous  change.  All  the  open  spaces  were  built 
up,  the  canvas  houses  replaced  by  ample  three-story  buildings,  an 
Exchange  with  lofty  sky-light  fronted  the  water,  and  for  the  space 
of  half  a  mile  the  throng  of  men  of  all  classes,  characters  and  na 
tions,  with  carts  and  animals,  equaled  Wall  street  before  three 
o'clock. 

In  other  parts  of  the  town  the  change  was  equally  great.  Tents 
and  canvas  houses  had  given  place  to  large  and  handsome  edifices, 
blanks  had  been  filled  up,  new  hotels  opened,  market  houses  in 
operation  and  all  the  characteristics  of  a  great  commercial  city 
fairly  established.  Portsmouth  Square  was  filled  with  lumber 
and  house  frames,  and  nearly  every  street  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
city  was  blocked  up  with  goods.  The  change  which  had  been 
wrought  in  all  parts  of  the  town  during  the  past  six  weeks  seemed 
little  short  of  magic.  At  first  I  had  difficulty  in  believing  that 
what  I  looked  upon  was  real,  so  utterly  inadequate  seemed  the 
visible  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  such  wonderful  ends. 

On  my  way  to  call  upon  Col.  Fremont,  whom  I  found  located 
with  his  family  in  the  Happy  Valley,  I  saw  a  company  of  Chinese 
carpenters  putting  up  the  frame  of  a  Canton-made  house.  In 
Pacific  street  another  Celestial  restaurant  had  been  opened,  and 
every  vessel  from  the  Chinese  ports  brought  a  fresh  importation. 
An  Olympic  circus,  on  a  very  handsome  scale,  had  been  estab 
lished,  and  a  company  of  Ethiopian  serenaders  nightly  amused 
the  public.  "  Delmonico's"  was  the  fashionable  eating-house, 
where  you  had  boiled  eggs  at  seventy-five  cents  each,  and  dinner 
at  $1  50  to  $5,  according  to  your  appetite.  A  little  muslin 
shed  rejoiced  in  the  title  of  "  Irving  House  "  A  number  of  fine 
billiard  rooms  and  bowling  alleys  had  been  opened,  and  all  other 
devices  for  spending  money  brought  into  successful  operation 


MORC    STATISTICS    OF    GROWTH.  20ft 

The  gamblers  complained  no  longer  of  dull  prospects  ;  there  were 
hundreds  of  monte,  roulette  and  faro  tables,  which  were  crowded 
nightly  until  a  late  hour,  and  where  the  most  inveterate  excesses 
of  gaming  might  be  witnessed.  The  rents  of  houses  had  increased 
rather  than  fallen.  I  might  give  hundreds  of  instances,  but  it 
would  be  only  a  repetition  of  the  stories  I  have  already  told 
Money  brought  fourteen  per  cent,  monthly,  on  loan.  A  gentle 
man  of  Baltimore,  who  came  out  in  the  Panama,  sold  for  $15,000 
a  steam  engine  which  cost  him  $2,000.  Some  drawing  paper, 
which  cost  about  $10  in  New  York,  brought  $164.  I  found 
little  change  in  the  prices  of  provisions  and  merchandise,  though 
the  sum  paid  for  labor  had  diminished.  Town  lots  were  continu 
ally  on  the  rise  ;  fifty  vara  lots  in  the  Happy  Valley,  half  a  mile 
from  town,  brought  $3,500.  I  met  with  a  number  of  my  fellow 
passengers,  nearly  all  of  whom  had  done  well,  some  of  them  hav 
ing  already  realized  $20,000  and  $30,000. 

The  population  of  San  Francisco  at  that  time,  was  estimated  at 
fifteen  thousand  ;  a  year  before  it  was  about  five  hundred.  The 
increase  since  that  time  had  been  made  in  the  face  of  the  greatest 
disadvantages  under  which  a  city  ever  labored ;  an  uncultivated 
country,  an  ungenial  climate,  exorbitant  rates  of  labor,  want  of 
building  materials,  imperfect  civil  organization — lacking  every 
thing,  in  short,  but  gold  dust  and  enterprise.  The  same  expense, 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  would  have  established  a  city  of  a  hundred 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  price  of  lumber  was  still  $300  to 
$400  per  thousand  feet.  In  addition  to  the  five  saw-mills  at 
Santa  Cruz,  all  the  mills  of  Oregon  were  kept  going,  lumber,  even 
there,  bringing  $100  per  thousand.  There  was  no  end  to  the 
springs  of  labor  and  traffic,  which  that  vast  emigration  to  Call- 


206  ELDORADO. 

forma  had  set  in  motion,  not  only  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  but  through 
out  all  Polynesia  and  Australia. 

The  activity  throughout  the  mining  region  during  the  fall  sea 
son,  gave  rise  to  a  thousand  reports  of  golden  discoveries,  the 
effect  of  which  was  instantly  seen  on  the  new-comers.  Their 
highest  anticipations  of  the  country  seemed  realized  at  once,  and 
their  only  embarrassment  was  the  choice  of  so  many  places  of 
promise.  The  stories  told  were  marvellous  even  to  Californians  j 
what  wonder,  then,  that  the  green  emigrants,  who  devoutly  swal 
lowed  them  whole,  should  be  disappointed  and  disgusted  with  the 
reality  ?  The  actual  yield  on  most  of  the  rivers  was,  neverthe 
less,  sufficiently  encouraging.  The  diggers  on  the  forks  of  the 
American,  Feather  and  Yuba  Rivers,  met  with  a  steady  return 
for  their  labors.  On  the  branches  of  the  San  Joaquin,  as  far  as 
the  Tuolurnne,  the  big  lumps  were  still  found.  Capt.  Walker, 
who  had  a  company  on  the  Pitiuna — a  stream  that  flows  into  the 
Tulare  Lakes — was  in  Monterey,  buying  supplies  at  the  time  I 
left.  His  company  was  alone  in  that  desolate  region,  and  working 
to  advantage,  if  one  might  judge  from  the  secrecy  which  attended 
their  movements.  The  placers  on  Trinity  River  had  not  turned 
out  so  well  as  was  expected,  and  many  of  the  miners  were 
returning  disappointed  to  the  Sacramento.  Several  companies 
had  been  absent  among  the  higher  ridges  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  for 
a  month  or  more,  and  it  was  suspected  that  they  had  discovered 
diggings  somewhere  on  the  eastern  side. 

The  sickly  season  on  the  Sacramento  and  its  tributaries,  was 
nearly  over,  but  numbers  of  pale,  emaciated  frames,  broken  down 
by  agues  and  diarrhoeas,  were  daily  arriving  in  the  launches  and 
steamers.  At  least  one-third  of  the  miners  suffered  more  or  less 
from  these  diseases,  and  numbers  of  men  who  had  landed  only  a 


AN    AGUE    CASE.  207 

few  months  before,  in  the  fulness  of  hale  and  lusty  manhood,  were 
walking  about  nearly  as  shrunken  and  bloodless  as  the  corpses 
they  would  soon  become.  One  of  the  most  pitiable  sights  I  ever 
beheld  was  one  of  these  men,  who  had  just  been  set  ashore  from  a 
launch.  He  was  sitting  alone  on  a  stone  beside  the  water,  with 
his  bare  feet  purple  with  cold,  on  the  cold,  wet  sand.  He  was 
wrapped  from  head  to  foot  in  a  coarse  blanket,  which  shook  with 
the  violence  of  his  chill,  as  if  his  limbs  were  about  to  drop  in 
pieces.  He  seemed  unconscious  of  all  that  was  passing ;  his  long, 
matted  hair  hung  over  his  wasted  face ;  his  eyes  glared  steadily 
forward,  with  an  expression  of  suffering  so  utterly  hopeless  and 
wild,  that  I  shuddered  at  seeing  it.  This  was  but  one  out  of  a 
number  of  cases,  equally  sad  and  distressing.  The  exposure  and 
privations  of  a  miner's  life  soon  sap  a  frame  that  has  not  previ 
ously  been  hardened  by  the  elements,  and  the  maladies  incident 
to  a  new  country  assail  with  double  force  the  constitutions  thus 
prepared  to  receive  them. 

I  found  the  climate  of  San  Francisco  vastly  improved  during 
my  absence.  The  temperature  was  more  genial  and  equable,  and 
the  daily  hurricanes  of  the  summer  had  almost  entirely  ceased. 
As  a  consequence  of  this,  the  streets  had  a  more  active  and  pleas 
ant  aspect,  and  the  continual  whirl  of  business  was  enlivened  by 
something  like  cheerfulness.  Politics  had  taken  root  in  this  ap 
propriate  hot-bed  of  excitement,  and  was  flourishing  with  a 
rapidity  and  vigor  of  growth  which  showed  that,  though  an  exotic 
plant,  it  would  soon  be  native  in  the  soil.  Meetings  were  held 
nearly  every  night  at  Denison's  Exchange,  where  the  rival  parties 
— for  the  different  personal  interests  were  not  slow  in  arraying 
themselves  against  each  other — had  their  speeches,  their  huzzas 
and  their  drinks.  The  Congressional  candidates  bore  the  brunt 


^08  ELDORADO. 

of  the  struggle,  since  three  or  four  of  them  were  residents ;  but 
the  Senatorship  gave  rise  to  the  most  deep-laid  and  complicated 
machinations.  The  principal  candidates,  T.  Butler  King,  Col. 
Fremont  and  Dr.  Gwin,  had  each  his  party  of  devoted  adherents, 
who  occupied  the  two  weeks  intervening  between  the  nomination 
and  election,  in  sounding  and  endeavoring  to  procure  the  votes  of 
the  candidates  for  the  State  Legislature,  on  whom  the  choice  of 
Senators  depended. 

Col.  Fremont  was  residing  at  the  time  in  the  Happy  Valley, 
in  a  Chinese  house,  which  he  had  erected  on  one  of  his  lots  Mr. 
King  was  at  Sonoma,  where  he  had  gone  to  recruit,  after  an  illness 
which  was  near  proving  fatal.  His  friends,  however,  called  a 
meeting  in  his  favor,  which  was  held  in  Portsmouth  Square — an 
injudicious  movement,  as  the  consequence  proved.  Dr.  Gwin  was 
making  an  electioneering  tour  through  the  mining  districts,  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  the  election  of  the  proper  Delegates  to  the 
State  Senate  and  Assembly.  It  was  curious  how  soon  the  Ameri 
can  passion  for  politics,  forgotten  during  the  first  stages  of  the 
State  organization,  revived  and  emulated  the  excitement  of  an 
election  in  the  older  States. 

A  day  or  two  after  my  arrival,  the  Steamer  Unicorn  came  into 
the  harbor,  being  the  third  which  had  arrived  without  bringing  a 
mail.  These  repeated  failures  were  too  much  for  even  a  patient 
people  to  bear  ;  an  indignation  meeting  in  Portsmouth  Square  was 
called,  but  a  shower,  heralding  the  rainy  season,  came  on  in  time 
to  prevent  it.  Finally,  on  the  last  day  of  October,  on  the  eve  of 
the  departure  of  another  steamer  down  the  coast,  the  Panama 
came  in,  bringing  the  mails  for  July,  August  and  September  all 
at  once  !  Thirty-seven  mail-bags  were  hauled  up  to  the  little 
Post-Office  that  night,  and  the  eight  clerks  were  astounded  by  the 


STRUCTURE    OF    THE    POST    OFFICE.  209 

receipt  of  forty-five  thousand  letters,  besides  uncounted  bushels  of 
newspapers.  I  was  at  the  time  domiciled  in  Mr.  Moore's  garret 
and  enjoying  the  hospitalities  of  his  plank-table  ;  I  therefore  offered 
my  services  as  clerk-extraordinary,  and  was  at  once  yested  with 
full  powers  and  initiated  into  all  the  mysteries  of  counting,  classi 
fying  and  distributing  letters. 

The  Post-Office  was  a  small  frame  building,  of  one  story,  and 
not  more  than  forty  feet  in  length.  The  entire  front,  which  was 
graced  with  a  narrow  portico,  was  appropriated  to  the  windows  for 
delivery,  while  the  rear  was  divided  into  three  small  compartments 
— a  newspaper  room,  a  private  office,  and  kitchen.  There  were 
two  windows  for  the  general  delivery,  one  for  French  and  Spanish 
letters,  and  a  narrow  entry  at  one  end  of  the  building,  on  which 
faced  the  private  boxes,  to  the  number  of  five  hundred,  leased  to 
merchants  and  others  at  the  rate  of  $1,50  per  month.  In  this 
small  space  all  the  operations  of  the  Office  were  carried  on.  The 
rent  of  the  building  was  $7,000  a  year,  and  the  salaries  of  the 
clerks  from  $100  to  $300  monthly,  which,  as  no  special  provision 
had  been  made  by  Government  to  meet  the  expense,  effectually 
confined  Mr.  Moore  to  these  narrow  limits.  For  his  strict  and 
conscientious  adherence  to  the  law,  he  received  the  violent  censure 
of  a  party  of  the  San  Franciscans,  who  would  have  had  him  make 
free  use  of  the  Government  funds. 

The  Panama's  mail-bags  reached  the  Office  about  nine  o'clock. 
The  doors  were  instantly  closed,  the  windows  darkened,  and  every 
preparation  made  for  a  long  siege.  The  attack  from  without  com 
menced  about  the  same  time.  There  were  knocks  on  the  doors, 
taps  on  the  windows,  and  beseeching  calls  at  all  corners  of  the 
house.  The  interior  was  well  lighted  ;  the  bags  were  emptied  on 
the  floor,  and  ten  pairs  of  hands  engaged  in  the  assortment  and 


210  ELDORADO. 

distribution  of  their  contents.  The  work  went  on  rapidly  and 
noiselessly  as  the  night  passed  away,  but  with  the  first  streak  oi 
daylight  the  attack  commenced  again.  Every  avenue  of  entrance 
was  barricaded ;  the  crowd  was  told  through  the  keyhole  that  the 
Office  would  be  opened  that  day  to  no  one  :  but  it  all  availed  no 
thing.  Mr.  Moore's  Irish  servant  could  not  go  for  a  bucket  of  water 
without  being  surrounded  and  in  danger  of  being  held  captive. 
Men  dogged  his  heels  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  slip  in  behind 
him  before  he  could  lock  the  door. 

We  labored  steadily  all  day,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
the  huge  pile  of  letters  considerably  diminished.  Towards  even 
ing  the  impatience  of  the  crowd  increased  to  a  most  annoying 
pitch.  They  knocked  ;  they  tried  shouts  and  then  whispers  and 
then  shouts  again  ;  they  implored  and  threatened  by  turns  ;  and 
not  seldom  offered  large  bribes  for  the  delivery  of  their  letters. 
"  Curse  such  a  Post-Office  and  such  a  Post-Master  !"  said  one  ; 
"  I'll  write  to  the  Department  by  the  next  steamer.  We'll  see 
whether  things  go  on  in  this  way  much  longer."  Then  comes  a 
messenger  slyly  to  the  back-door  :  "  Mr. sends  his  compli 
ments,  and  says  you  would  oblige  him  very  much  by  letting  me 
have  his  letters  ;  he  won't  say  anything  about  it  to  anybody."  A 
clergyman,  or  perhaps  a  naval  officer,  follows,  relying  on  a  white 
cravat  or  gilt  buttons  for  the  favor  which  no  one  else  can  obtain. 
Mr.  Moore  politely  but  firmly  refuses  ;  and  so  we  work  on,  un 
moved  by  the  noises  of  the  besiegers.  The  excitement  and  anxiety 
of  the  public  can  scarcely  be  told  in  words.  Where  the  source 
that  governs  business,  satisfies  affection  and  supplies  intelligence 
had  been  shut  off  from  a  whole  community  for  three  months,  the 
rush  from  all  sides  to  supply  the  void,  was  irresistible. 

In  the  afternoon,  a  partial  delivery  was  made  to  the  owners  of 


SOUNDS    ON    THE    PORTICO.  211 

private  boxes.  It  was  effected  in  a  skillful  way,  though  with  some 
danger  to  the  clerk  who  undertook  the  opening  of  the  door.  On 
account  of  the  crush  and  destruction  of  windows  on  former  occa 
sions,  he  ordered  them  to  form  into  line  and  enter  in  regular  order. 
They  at  first  refused,  but  on  his  counter-refusal  to  unlock  the  door, 
complied  with  some  difficulty.  The  moment  the  key  was  turned, 
the  rush  into  the  little  entry  was  terrific  ;  the  glass  faces  of  the 
boxes  were  stove  in,  and  the  wooden  partition  seemed  about  to 
give  way.  In  the  space  of  an  hour  the  clerk  took  in  postage  to 
the  amount  of  $600  ;  the  principal  firms  frequently  paid  from  $50 
to  $100  for  their  correspondence. 

We  toiled  on  till  after  midnight  of  the  second  night,  when  the 
work  was  so  far  advanced  that  we  could  spare  an  hour  or  two  for 
rest,  and  still  complete  the  distribution  in  time  for  the  opening  of 
the  windows,  at  noon  the  next  day.  So  we  crept  up  to  our  blan 
kets  in  the  garret,  worn  out  by  forty-four  hours  of  steady  labor. 
We  had  scarcely  begun  to  taste  the  needful  rest,  when  our  sleep, 
deep  as  it  was,  was  broken  by  a  new  sound.  Some  of  the  be 
siegers,  learning  that  the  windows  were  to  be  opened  at  noon, 
came  on  the  ground  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  in  order  to  have 
the  first  chance  for  letters.  As  the  nights  were  fresh  and  cool, 
they  soon  felt  chilly,  and  began  a  stamping  march  along  the  por 
tico,  which  jarred  the  whole  building  and  kept  us  all  painfully 
awake.  This  game  was  practised  for  a  week  after  the  distribution 
commenced,  and  was  a  greater  hardship  to  those  employed  in  the 
Office  than  their  daily  labors.  One  morning,  about  a  week  after 
this,  a  single  individual  came  about  midnight,  bringing  a  chair  with 
him,  and  some  refreshments.  He  planted  himself  directly  opposite 
the  door,  and  sat  there  quietly  all  night.  It  was  the  day  for  dis 
patching  the  Monterey  mail,  and  one  of  the  clerks  got  up  about 


212  ELDORADO. 

four  o'clock  to  have  it  in  readiness  for  the  carrier.  On  opening 
the  door  in  the  darkness,  he  was  confronted  by  this  man,  who, 
seated  solemnly  in  his  chair,  immediately  gave  his  name  in  a  loud 
voice  :  "  John  Jenkins  !" 

When,  finally,  the  windows  were  opened,  the  scenes  around  the 
office  were  still  more  remarkable.  In  order  to  prevent  a  general 
riot  among  the  applicants,  they  were  recommended  to  form  in 
ranks.  This  plan  once  established,  those  inside  could  work  with 
more  speed  and  safety.  The  lines  extended  in  front  all  the  way 
down  the  hill  into  Portsmouth  Square,  and  on  the  south  side 
across  Sacramento  street  to  the  tents  among  the  chapparal ;  while 
that  from  the  newspaper  window  in  the  rear  stretched  for  some 
distance  up  the  hill.  The  man  at  the  tail  of  the  longest  line 
might  count  on  spending  six  hours  in  it  before  he  reached  the 
window.  Those  who  were  near  the  goal  frequently  sold  out  their 
places  to  impatient  candidates,  for  ten,  and  even  twenty-five  dol 
lars  ;  indeed,  several  persons,  in  want  of  money,  practised  this 
game  daily,  as  a  means  of  living !  Venders  of  pies,  cakes  and 
newspapers  established  themselves  in  front  of  the  office,  to  supply 
the  crowd,  while  others  did  a  profitable  business  by  carrying  cans 
of  coffee  up  and  down  the  lines. 

The  labors  of  the  Post  Office  were  greatly  increased  by  the 
necessity  of  forwarding  thousands  of  letters  to  the  branch  offices 
or  to  agents  among  the  mountains,  according  to  the  orders  of  the 
miners.  This  part  of  the  business,  which  was  entirely  without 
remuneration,  furnished  constant  employment  for  three  or  four 
clerks.  Several  persons  made  large  sums  by  acting  as  agents, 
supplying  the  miners  with  their  letters,  at  $1  each,  which  in 
cluded  the  postage  from  the  Atlantic  side.  The  arrangements 


INCREASE  OF  PAY  NEEDED.  213 

for  the  transportation  of  the  inland  mail  were  very  imperfect,  and 
these  private  establishments  were  generally  preferred. 

The  necessity  of  an  immediate  provision  for  the  support  of  all 
branches  of  Government  service,  was,  (and  still  remains,  at  the 
time  I  write,)  most  imminent.  Unless  something  be  speedily 
done,  the  administration  of  many  offices  in  California  must  be 
come  impossible.  The  plan  of  relief  is  simple  and  can  readily  be 
accomplished — in  the  Civil  Department,  by  a  direct  increase  of 
emolument,  in  the  Military  and  Naval,  by  an  advance  in  the  price 
of  rations,  during  service  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Our  legislators 
appear  hardly  to  understand  the  enormous  standard  of  prices,  and 
the  fact  that  many  years  must  elapse  before  it  car.  be  materially 
lessened.  Men  in  these  days  will  not  labor  for  pure  patriotism, 
when  the  country  is  so  well  able  to  pay  them. 


CHAPTER  XXI, 

SACRAMENTO    RIVER    AND    CITY. 

THE  change  of  temperature  following  the  heavy  shower  which 
fell  the  day  after  my  arrival  at  San  Francisco,  seemed  to  announce 
the  near  approach  of  the  rainy  season.  I  made  all  haste,  there 
fore,  to  start  on  my  tour  through  the  northern  placers,  fearing 
lest  it  might  be  made  impossible  by  a  longer  delay.  The  schooner 
James  L.  Day  was  advertised  to  leave  for  Sacramento  City  about 
the  tune  we  had  finished  distributing  the  mail,  and  as  no  prepara 
tion  is  required  for  a  journey  in  California,  I  took  my  sarape  and 
went  down  to  Clark's  Point,  which  is  to  San  Francisco  what 
Whitehall  is  to  New  York.  The  fare  was  $14,  which  included 
our  embarkation — a  matter  of  some  little  consequence,  when  $5 
was  frequently  paid  to  /be  rowed  out  to  a  vessel.  There  were 
about  seventy  passengers  on  board,  the  greater  part  of  whom  had 
just  arrived  in  the  steamer  Panama.  The  schooner  was  a  trim, 
beautiful  craft,  that  had  weathered  the  gales  of  Cape  Horn.  A 
strong  wind  was  blowing  from  the  south,  with  a  rain  coming  up, 
as  we  hove  anchor  and  fired  a  parting  gun.  We  passed  the 
islands  of  Yerla  Buena  and  Alcatraz,  looked  out  through  the 
Golden  Gate  on  the  Pacific.,  and  dashed  into  the  strait  connecting 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  with  Pablo  Bay,  before  a  ten-knot 


THE  STRAITS  OF  CARQUINEZ.  215 

breeze.  This  strait,  six  miles  in  length  and  about  three  io 
breadth,  presents  a  constant  variety  of  scene,  from  the  irregu 
larity  of  its  mountain -shores.  In  the  middle  of  it  stands  an  island 
of  red  volcanic  rock,  near  which  are  two  smaller  ones,  white  with 
guano,  called  The  Brothers.  At  the  entrance  of  Pablo  Bay  are 
two  others,  The  Sisters,  similar  in  size  and  form. 

Pablo  Bay  is  nearly  circular,  and  about  twelve  miles  in  diame 
ter.  The  creeks  of  Napa,  Petaluma  and  San  Ptafael  empty  into 
it  on  the  northern  side,  opposite  Mare  Island,  so  called  from  a 
wild  mare  who  was  formerly  seen  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  elk, 
galloping  over  its  broad  meadows.  We  had  but  a  dim  glimpse  of 
the  shore  through  the  rain.  Our  schooner  bent  to  the  wind,  and 
cut  the  water  so  swiftly,  that  it  fairly  whistled  under  her  sharp 
prow.  The  spray  dashed  over  the  deck  and  the  large  sails  were 
motionless  in  their  distension,  as  we  ran  before  the  gale,  at  a  most 
exhilarating  speed.  A  very  good  dinner  at  $1,  was  served  up  in 
the  eight-by-ten  cabin  and  there  was  quite  a  run  upon  the  cook's 
galley,  for  pies,  at  $1  apiece. 

We  speedily  made  the  entrance  to  the  Straits  of  Carquinez, 
where  the  mountains  approach  to  within  three-quarters  rf  a  mile. 
Several  of  the  newly-arrived  emigrants  expressed  themselves  de 
lighted  with  the  barren  shores  and  scanty  patches  of  chapparal. 
It  was  their  first  view  of  the  inland  scenery  of  California.  The 
rain  had  already  brought  out  a  timid  green  on  the  hills,  and  the 
soil  no  longer  looked  parched  and  dead.  "  Ah  !"  said  one  of  the 
company,  "  what  beautiful  mountains !  this  California  is  really  a 
splendid  country."  "  Very  well,"  thought  I,  "but  if  you  dig 
less  gold  than  you  anticipate,  catch  the  ague  or  fail  in  speculation, 
what  will  you  say  then  ?  Will  not  the  picture  you  draw  be  as 
dark  and  forbidding  as  it  is  now  delightful  ?" 


216  ELDORADO. 

We  passed  a  small  sail-boat,  bound  for  Sacramento  and  filled 
with  emigrants.  Half  of  them  were  employed  in  bailing  out  the 
scud  thrown  over  the  gunwale  by  every  surge.  We  shot  by  them 
like  a  flash,  and  came  in  sight  of  Benicia,  once  thought  to  be  a 
rival  to  San  Francisco.  In  a  glen  on  the  opposite  shore  is  the 
little  town  of  Martinez.  Benicia  is  a  very  pretty  place  ;  the  situa 
tion  is  well  chosen,  the  land  gradually  sloping  back  from  the 
water,  with  ample  space  for  the  spread  of  the  town.  The  anchor 
age  is  excellent,  vessels  of  the  largest  size  being  able  to  lie  so  near 
shore  as  to  land  goods  without  lightering.  The  back  country, 
including  the  Napa  and  Sonoma  valleys,  is  one  of  the  finest  agri 
cultural  districts  of  California.  Notwithstanding  these  advan 
tages,  Benicia  must  always  remain  inferior,  in  commercial  im 
portance,  both  to  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento  City.  While  in 
the  country,  I  was  much  amused  in  reading  the  letters  respecting 
it,  which  had  been  sent  home  and  published,  many  of  them  pre 
dicting  the  speedy  downfall  of  San  Francisco,  on  account  of  the 
superior  advantages  of  the  former  place.  On  the  strength  of 
these  letters  vessels  had  actually  cleared  for  Benicia,  with  large 
cargoes.  Now,  anchorage  is  one  thing,  and  a  good  market 
another ;  a  ship  may  lie  in  greater  safety  at  Albany,  but  the  sen 
sible  merchant  charters  his  vessel  for  New  York.  San  Francisco 
is  marked  by  Nature  and  Fate  (though  many  will  disagree  with 
me  in  the  first  half  of  the  assertion)  for  the  great  commercial  mart 
of  the  Pacific,  and  whatever  advantages  she  may  lack  will  soon  be 
amply  provided  for  by  her  wealth  and  enterprise. 

Benicia — very  properly,  as  I  think — has  been  made  the  Naval 
and  Military  ^Station  for  the  Bay.  Gen.  Smith  and  Commodore 
Jones  both  have  their  head  quarters  there.  The  General's  house 
and  the  military  barracks  are  built  on  a  headland  at  the  entrance 


NEW-YORK-OF-THE-PACIFIC.  217 

of  Suisun  Bay — a  breezy  and  healthy  situation.  Monte  Diablo, 
the  giant  of  the  Coast  Range,  rises  high  and  blue  on  the  other 
side  of  the  strait,  and  away  beyond  the  waters  of  the  Bay,  beyond 
the  waste  marshes  of  tule  and  the  broad  grazing  plains,  and  above 
the  low  outlines  of  many  an  intermediate  chain,  loom  up  faint  and 
far  and  silvery,  the  snows  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

We  came-to  off  New-York-of-the-Pacific  in  four  hours  after 
leaving  San  Francisco — a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  The  former 
place,  with  its  aspiring  but  most  awkward  name,  is  located  on  a 
level  plain,  on  the  southern  shore  of  Suisun  Bay,  backed  by  a 
range  of  barren  mountains.  It  consists  of  three  houses,  one  of 
which  is  a  three-story  one,  and  several  vessels  at  anchor  near  the 
shore.  The  anchorage  is  good,  and  were  it  not  for  the  mosquitos, 
the  crews  might  live  pleasantly  enough,  in  their  seclusion.  There 
never  will  be  a  large  town  there,  for  the  simple  reason  that  there 
is  no  possible  cause  why  there  should  be  one.  Stockton  and 
Sacramento  City  supply  the  mines,  San  Francisco  takes  the  com 
merce,  Benicia  the  agricultural  produce,  with  a  fail*  share  of  the 
inland  trade,  and  this  Gotham-of-the-West,  I  fear,  must  continue 
to  belie  its  title. 

We  anchored,  waiting  for  the  steamer  Sacramento,  which  was 
to  meet  the  schooner  and  receive  her  passengers.  She  came  along 
side  after  dark,  but  owing  to  the  violence  of  the  rain,  did  not  leave 
until  midnight.  She  was  a  small,  light  craft,  not  more  than  sixty 
feet  in  length,  and  had  been  shipped  to  San  Francisco  around 
Cape  Horn.  She  was  at  first  employed  to  run  between  Sacra 
mento  City  and  San  Francisco,  but  proved  insufficient  to  weather 
the  rough  seas  of  the  open  Bay.  The  arrival  of  the  steamer 
McKim,  which  is  a  good  sea-boat  and  therefore  adapted  to  the 
navigation  of  the  Bay,  where  the  waves  are  little  less  violent  than 

VOL.  i.          10 


218  ELDORADO. 

in  the  Pacific,  drove  her  from  the  route,  but  she  still  continued 
to  run  on  the  Sacramento  River.  Many  small  steamers,  of 
similar  frail  construction,  were  sent  around  the  Horn,  the  specu 
lators  imagining  they  were  the  very  thing  for  inland  navigation. 
The  engine  of  the  Sacramento  was  on  deck,  as  also  was  her  den 
of  a  cabin — a  filthy  place,  about  six  feet  by  eight.  A  few  berths, 
made  of  two  coarse  blankets  laid  on  a  plank,  were  to  be  had  at 
$>5  each  ;  but  I  preferred  taking  a  camp-stool,  throwing  my  sararpe 
over  my  shoulders  and  sleeping  with  my  head  on  the  table,  rather 
than  pay  such  an  unchristian  price. 

As  the  day  dawned,  gloomy  and  wet,  I  went  on  deck.  "We  were 
near  the  head  of  "  The  Slough,"  a  broad  navigable  cut-off,  which 
Baves  twenty  miles  in  making  the  trip.  The  banks  are  lined  with 
thickets,  behind  which  extends  a  narrow  belt  of  timber,  princi 
pally  oak  and  sycamore.  Here  and  there,  in  cleared  spots,  were 
the  cabins  of  the  woodmen,  or  of  squatters,  who  intend  claiming 
preemption  rights.  The  wood,  which  brings  $12  or  $15  a  cord, 
rs  piled  on  the  bluff  banks,  and  the  steamers  back  up  to  it, 
whenever  they  are  obliged  to  "  wood  up."  At  the  junction  of 
the  slough  with  the  river  proper,  there  is  a  small  village  of  Indian 
huts,  built  of  dry  tule  reeds. 

The  Sacramento  is  a  beautiful  stream.  Its  width  varies  from 
two  to  three  hundred  yards,  and  its  banks  fringed  with  rich 
foliage,  present,  by  their  continuous  windings,  a  fine  succession  of 
views.  In  appearance,  it  reminded  me  somewhat  of  the  Delaware. 
The  foliage,  washed  by  the  rain,  glistened  green  and  freshly  in  the 
morning ;  and  as  we  advanced  the  distant  mountains  on  either 
hand  were  occasionally  visible  through  gaps  in  the  timber.  Be 
fore  reaching  the  town  of  Sutter,  we  passed  a  ranche,  the  produce 
of  which,  in  vegetables  alone,  was  said  to  have  returned  the  owner 


VIEW  OF  SACRAMENTO  CITY.  219 

—a  German,  by  the  name  of  Schwartz — $25,000  during  the  sea 
son.  Sutter  is  a  town  of  some  thirty  houses,  scattered  along  the 
bank  for  half  a  mile.  Three  miles  above  this  we  came  in  sight 
of  Sacramento  City.  The  forest  of  masts  along  the  embarcadero 
more  than  rivalled  the  splendid  growth  of  the  soil.  Boughs  and 
spars  were  mingled  together  in  striking  contrast ;  the  cables  were 
fastened  to  the  trunks  and  sinewy  roots  of  the  trees ;  sign-boards 
and  figure-heads  were  set  up  on  shore,  facing  the  levee,  and  galleys 
and  deck-cabins  were  turned  out  "  to  grass,"  leased  as  shops,  or 
occupied  as  dwellings.  The  aspect  of  the  place,  on  landing,  was 
decidedly  more  novel  and  picturesque  than  that  of  any  other  town 
in  the  country. 

The  plan  of  Sacramento  City  is  very  simple.  Situated  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Sacramento,  at  its  junction  with  the  Rio 
Americano,  the  town  plot  embraces  a  square  of  about  one  and 
a-half  miles  to  a  side.  It  is  laid  out  in  regular  right-angles,  in 
Philadelphia  style,  those  running  east  and  west  named  after  the 
alphabet,  and  those  north  and  south  after  the  arithmetic.  The 
limits  of  the  town  extended  to  nearly  one  square  mile,  and  the 
number  of  inhabitants,  in  tents  and  houses,  fell  little  short  of  ten 
thousand.  The  previous  April  there  were  just  four  houses  in  the 
place  !  Can  the  world  match  a  growth  like  this  ? 

The  original  forest-trees,  standing  in  all  parts  of  the  town,  give 
it  a  very  picturesque  appearance.  Many  of  the  streets  are  lined 
with  oaks  and  sycamores,  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  spreading 
ample  boughs  on  every  side.  The  emigrants  have  ruined  the 
finest  of  them  by  building  camp-fires  at  their  bases,  which,  in  some 
instances,  have  burned  completely  through,  leaving  a  charred  and 
blackened  arch  for  the  superb  tree  to  rest  upon.  The  storm 
which  occurred  a  few  days  previous  to  my  visit,  snapped  asunder 


220  ELDORADO. 

several  trunks  which  had  been  thus  weakened,  one  of  them  crush 
ing  to  the  earth  a  canvas  house  in  which  a  man  lay  asleep.  A 
heavy  bough  struck  the  ground  on  each  side  of  him,  saving  his 
life.  The  destruction  of  these  trees  is  the  more  to  be  regretted, 
as  the  intense  heat  of  the  Summer  days,  when  the  mercury  stands 
at  120°,  renders  their  shade  a  thing  of  absolute  necessity. 

The  value  of  real  estate  in  Sacramento  City  is  only  exceeded  by 
that  of  San  Francisco.  Lots  twenty  by  seventy-five  feet,  in  the 
best  locations,  brought  from  $3,000  to  $3,500.  Rents  were  on 
a  scale  equally  enormous.  The  City  Hotel,  which  was  formerly  a 
saw-mill,  erected  by  Capt.  Sutter,  paid  $30,000  per  annum.  A 
new  hotel,  going  up  on  the  levee,  had  been  already  rented  at 
$35,000.  Two  drinking  and  gaming-rooms,  on  a  business  street, 
paid  each  $1,000,  monthly,  invariably  in  advance.  Many  of  the 
stores  transacted  business  averaging  from  $1,000  to  $3,000  daily. 
Board  was  $20  per  week  at  the  restaurants  and  $5  per  day  at  the 
City  Hotel.  But  what  is  the  use  of  repeating  figures  ?  These 
dead  statistics  convey  no  idea  of  the  marvellous  state  of  things  in 
the  place.  It  was  difficult  enough  for  those  who  saw  to  believe, 
and  I  can  only  hope  to  reproduce  the  very  faintest  impression  of 
the  pictures  I  there  beheld.  It  was  frequently  wondered,  on  this 
side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  why  the  gold  dust  was  not  sent  out 
of  the  country  in  larger  quantities,  when  at  .least  forty  thousand 
men  were  turning  up  the  placers.  The  fact  is,  it  was  required  as 
currency,  and  the  amount  in  circulation  might  be  counted  by  mil 
lions.  Why,  the  building  up  of  a  single  street  in  Sacramento 
City  ( J  street)  cost  half  a  million ,  at  least !  The  value  of  all 
the  houses  in  the  city,  frail  and  perishing  as  many  of  them  were, 
could  not  have  been  less  than  $2,000,000. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  there  is  another  side  to  the  picture 


ITS  LIFE  AND  BUSINESS.  221 

Three-fourths  o"  the  people  who  settle  in  Sacramento  City  are 
visited  by  agues,  diarrhoeas  and  other  reducing  complaints.  In 
Summer  the  place  is  a  furnace,  in  Winter  little  better  than  a 
swamp  ;  and  the  influx  of  emigrants  and  discouraged  miners  gene 
rally  exceeds  the  demand  for  labor.  A  healthy,  sensible,  wide 
awake  man,  however,  cannot  fail  to  prosper.  In  a  country  where 
Labor  rules  everything,  no  sound  man  has  a  right  to  complain. 
"When  carpenters  make  a  strike  because  they  only  get  twelve  dol 
lars  a  day,  one  may  be  sure  there  is  room  enough  for  industry  and 
enterprise  of  all  kinds. 

The  city  was  peopled  principally  by  New-Yorkers,  Jerseymen 
and  people  from  the  Western  States.  In  activity  and  public 
spirit,  it  was  nothing  behind  San  Francisco  ;  its  growth,  indeed, 
in  view  of  the  difference  of  location,  was  more  remarkable.  The 
inhabitants  had  elected  a  Town  Council,  adopted  a  City  Charter 
and  were  making  exertions  to  have  the  place  declared  a  port  of 
entry.  The  political  waters  were  being  stirred  a  little,  in  antici 
pation  of  the  approaching  election.  Mr.  Gilbert,  of  the  Alta 
California,  and  Col.  Stcuart,  candidate  for  Governor,  were  in  the 
city.  A  political  meeting,  which  had  been  held  a  few  nights  before, 
in  front  of  the  City  Hotel,  passed  off  as  uproariously  and  with  as 
zealous  a  sentiment  of  patriotism  as  such  meetings  are  wont  to 
exhibit  at  home.  Among  the  residents  whom  I  met  during  my 
visit,  was  Gen.  Green,  of  Texas,  known  as  commander  of  the  Mier 
Expedition. 

The  city  already  boasted  a  weekly  paper,  the  Placer  Times, 
which  was  edited  and  published  by  Mr.  Giles,  formerly  of  the 
Tribune  Office.  His  printers  were  all  old  friends  of  mine — one  of 
them,  in  fact,  a  former  fellow-apprentice — and  from  the  fraternal 
feeling  that  all  possess  who  have  ever  belonged  to  the  craft,  the 


222  ELDORADO. 

place  became  at  once  familiar  and  home-like.  The  little  paper, 
which  had  a  page  of  about  twelve  by  eighteen  inches,  had  a  circu 
lation  of  five  hundred  copies,  at  $12  a  year  ;  the  amount  received 
weekly  for  jobs  and  advertising,  varied  from  $1,000  to  $2,000. 
Tickets  were  printed  for  the  different  political  candidates,  at  the 
rate  of  $20  for  every  thousand.  The  compositors  were  paid  $15 
daily.  Another  compositor  from  the  Tribune  Office  had  estab 
lished  a  restaurant,  and  was  doing  a  fine  business.  His  dining 
saloon  was  an  open  tent,  unfloored  ;  the  tables  were  plank,  with 
rough  benches  on  each  side  ;  the  waiters  rude  Western  boys  who 
had  come  over  the  Rocky  Mountains — but  the  meals  he  furnished 
could  not  have  been  surpassed  in  any  part  of  the  world  for  sub 
stantial  richness  of  quality.  There  was  every  day  abundance  of 
elk  steaks,  unsurpassed  for  sweet  and  delicate  flavor  ;  venison, 
which  had  been  fattened  on  the  mountain  acorns  ;  mutton,  such  as 
nothing  but  the  wild  pastures  of  California  could  produce  ;  salmon 
and  salmon-trout  of  astonishing  size,  from  the  Sacramento  River, 
and  now  and  then  the  solid  flesh  of  the  grizzly  bear.  The  salmon- 
trout  exceeded  in  fatness  any  fresh-water  fish  I  ever  saw ;  they 
were  between  two  and  three  feet  in  length,  with  a  layer  of  pure 
fat,  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  over  the  ribs.  When  made 
into  chowder  or  stewed  in  claret,  they  would  have  thrown  into  ec- 
stacies  the  most  inveterate  Parisian  gourmand.  The  full-moon 
face  of  the  proprietor  of  the  restaurant  was  accounted  for,  when  one 
had  tasted  his  fare  ;  after  living  there  a  few  days,  I  could  feel  my 
own  dimensions  sensibly  enlarged. 

The  road  to  Sutter's  Fort,  the  main  streets  and  the  levee  front 
ing  on  the  Embarcadero,  were  constantly  thronged  with  the  teams 
of  emigrants,  coming  in  from  the  mountains.  Such  worn,  weather- 
beaten  individuals  I  never  before  imagined.  Their  tents  were 


CATTLE  OF  EXPERIENCE.  223 

pitched  by  hundreds  in  the  thickets  around  the  town,  where  they 
rested  a  few  days  before  starting  to  winter  in  the  mines  and  else 
where.  At  times  the  levee  was  filled  throughout  its  whole  length 
by  their  teams,  three  or  four  yoke  of  oxen  to  every  wagon.  The 
beasts  had  an  expression  of  patient  experience  which  plainly  showed 
that  no  roads  yet  to  be  traveled  would  astonish  them  in  the  least. 
After  tugging  the  wagons  for  six  months  over  the  salt  deserts  of 
the  Great  Basin,  climbing  passes  and  canons  of  terrible  asperity  in 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  learning  to  digest  oak  bark  on  the  arid 
plains  around  the  sink  of  Humboldt's  River3  it  seemed  as  if  no 
extremity  could  henceforth  intimidate  them.  Much  toil  and  suf 
fering  had  given  to  their  countenances  a  look  of  almost  human 
wisdom.  If  their  souls  should  hereafter,  according  to  the  theory 
of  some  modern  philosophers,  reappear  in  human  frames,  what  a 
crowd  of  grave  and  reverend  sages  may  not  California  be  able  to 
produce  !  The  cows  had  been  yoked  in  with  the  oxen  and  made 
to  do  equal  duty.  The  women  who  had  come  by  the  overland 
route  appeared  to  have  stood  the  hardships  of  the  journey  remark 
ably  well,  and  were  not  half  so  loud  as  the  men  in  their  complaints 
The  amount  of  gambling  in  Sacramento  City  was  very  great, 
and  the  enticement  of  music  was  employed  even  to  a  greater  ex 
tent  than  in  San  Francisco.  All  kinds  of  instruments  and  tunes 
made  night  discordant,  for  which  harrowing  service  the  performers 
were  paid  an  ounce  each.  Among  the  many  drinking  houses, 
there  was  one  called  "  The  Plains,"  which  was  much  frequented 
by  the  emigrants.  Some  western  artist,  who  came  across  the 
country,  adorned  its  walls  with  scenic  illustrations  of  the  route, 
such  as  Independence  Rock,  The  Sweet-Water  Valley,  Fort  Lara- 
mie,  Wind  River  Mountains,  etc.  There  was  one  of  a  pass  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  on  the  Carson  River  route.  A  wagon  and  team 


224  ELDORADO. 

were  represented  as  coming  down  the  side  of  a  hill,  so  nearly  per 
pendicular  that  it  seemed  no  earthly  power  could  prevent  them 
from  making  but  a  single  fall  from  the  summit  to  the  valley. 
These  particular  oxen,  however,  were  happily  independent  of  gravi 
tation,  and  whisked  their  tails  in  the  face  of  the  zenith,  as  thoy 
marched  slowly  down. 

I  was  indebted  for  quarters  in  Sacramento  City,  to  Mr.  Be 
Grraw,  who  was  installed  in  a  frame  house,  copper-roofed,  fronting 
the  levee.  I  slept  very  comfortably  on  a  pile  of  Chinese  quilts, 
behind  the  counter,  lulled  by  the  dashing  of  the  rain  against  the 
sides  of  the  house.  The  rainy  season  had  set  in,  to  all  appear 
ances,  though  it  was  full  a  month  before  the  usual  time.  The 
sky  was  bleak  and  gray,  and  the  wind  blew  steadily  from  tha 
south,  an  unfailing  sign  to  the  old  residents.  The  saying  of  the 
Mexicans  seemed  to  be  verified,  that,  wherever  los  Yankis  go, 
they  take  ram  with  them. 

It  was  therefore  the  more  necessary  that  I  should  start  at  once 
for  the  mountains.  In  a  few  weeks  the  roads  would  be  impassa 
ble,  and  my  only  chance  of  seeing  the  northern  rivers  be  cut  off. 
The  first  requisite  for  the  journey  was  a  good  horse,  to  procure 
which  I  first  attended  the  horse-market  which  was  daily  held  to 
wards  the  bottom  of  K  street.  This  was  one  of  the  principal  sights 
in  the  place,  and  as  picturesque  a  thing  as  could  be  seen  anywhere. 
The  trees  were  here  thicker  and  of  larger  growth  than  in 
other  parts  of  the  city  ;  the  market-ground  in  the  middle  of  the 
street  was  shaded  by  an  immense  evergreen  oak,  and  surrounded 
by  tents  of  blue  and  white  canvas.  One  side  was  flanked  by  a 
livery-stable — an  open  frame  of  poles,  roofed  with  dry  tule,  in 
which  stood  a  few  shivering  mules  and  raw-boned  horses,  while  the 
stacks  of  hay  and  wheat  straw,  on  the  open  lots  in  the  vicinity, 


SIGHTS  AT  THE  HORSE  MARKET.  225 

offered  feed  to  the  buyers  of  animals,  at  the  rate  of  $3  daily  foi 
each  head. 

When  the  market  was  in  full  blast,  the  scene  it  presented  was 
grotesque  enough.  There  were  no  regulations  other  than  the 
fancy  of  those  who  had  animals  to  sell ;  every  man  was  his  own 
auctioneer,  and  showed  off  the  points  of  his  horses  or  mules.  The 
ground  was  usually  occupied  by  several  persons  at  once, — a  rough 
tawny-faced,  long-bearded  Missourian,  with  a  couple  of  pack 
mules  which  had  been  starved  in  the  Great  Basin ;  a  quondam 
New  York  dandy  with  a  horse  whose  back  he  had  ruined  in  his 
luckless  "  prospecting"  among  the  mountains ;  a  hard-fisted  far 
mer  with  the  wagon  and  ox-team  which  had  brought  his  family 
and  household  gods  across  the  continent ;  or,  perhaps,  a  jocky 
trader,  who  understood  all  the  arts  of  depreciation  and  recom 
mendation,  and  invariably  sold  an  animal  for  much  more  than  he 
gave.  The  bids  were  slow,  and  the  seller  would  sometimes  hang 
for  half  an  hour  without  an  advance  ;  in  fact,  where  three  or  four 
were  up  at  once,  it  required  close  attention  in  the  buyer  to  know 
which  way  the  competition  was  running. 

I  saw  a  lean  sorrel  mule  sold  for  $55  ;  several  others,  of  that 
glossy  black  color  and  clean  make  which  denote  spirit  and  endu 
rance,  were  held  at  $140,  the  owner  refusing  to  let  them  go  for 
less.  The  owner  of  a  bay  horse,  which  he  rode  up  .and  down  the 
market  at  a  brisk  pace,  c  (uld  get  no  bid  above  $45.  As  the  ani 
mal  was  well  made  and  in  good  condition,  I  was  about  to  bid, 
when  I  noticed  a  peculiar  glare  of  the  eye  which  betrayed  suffer 
ing  of  some  kind.  "  What  kind  of  a  back  has  he  ?"  I  inquired 
a  It  is  a  very  little  scratched  on  the  top,?'  was  the  answer ;  u  but 
lie  is  none  the  worse  for  that."  "  He'll  not  do  for  me,"  I  thought, 
but  I  watched  the  other  bidders  to  see  how  the  buyer  would  be 
10* 


226  ELDORADO. 

satisfied  with  bis  purchase.  The  horse  was  finally  knocked  off  at 
$50 :  as  the  saddle  was  not  included  the  new  owner  removed  it, 
disclosing  a  horrible  patch  of  raw  and  shrinking  flesh.  An  alter 
cation  instantly  arose,  which  was  not  settled  when  I  left  to  seek  a 
horse  elsewhere. 

The  owner  of  a  stack  of  hay  near  at  hand  desired  to  sell  me  a 
mule  out  of  a  number  which  he  had  in  charge.  But  one  which 
he  recommended  as  a  fine  saddle-mule  would  not  go  at  all,  though 
he  wounded  her  mouth  with  the  cruel  bit  of  the  country  in  the 
effort  to  force  her  into  a  trot ;  another,  which  was  declared  to  be 
remarkably  gentle,  stumbled  and  fell  with  me,  and  a  third,  which 
seemed  to  be  really  a  good  traveler,  was  held  at  a  price  I  did  not 
desire  to  pay.  At  last,  the  proprietor  of  a  sort  of  tavern  adjoin 
ing  the  market,  offered  to  sell  me  a  gray  mare  for  $100.  Now,  as 
the  gray  mare  is  said  to  be  the  better  horse,  and  as,  on  trial,  I 
found  her  to  possess  a  steady  and  easy  gait,  though  a  little  lazy,  I 
determined  to  take  her,  since,  among  so  many  worn-out  and  used- 
up  animals,  it  seemed  a  matter  of  mere  luck  whether  I  would 
have  selected  a  good  one.  The  mare  was  American,  but  the 
owner  assured  me  she  had  been  long  enough  in  the  country,  to  travel 
unshod  and  keep  fat  on  dry  grass.  As  saddles,  blankets,  and  other 
articles  were  still  necessary,  my  outfit  was  rather  expensive.  I  pro 
cured  a  tolerable  saddle  and  bridle  for  $10  ;  a  lariat  and  saddle- 
blanket  for  $5  ;  a  pair  of  sharp  Mexican  spurs  for  $8,  and  blankets 
for  $12.  "With  a  hunting-knife,  a  pair  of  pistols  in  my  pocket,  a 
compass,  thermometer,  note-book  and  pencil,  I  was  prepared  foi 
a  tour  of  any  length  among  the  mountains. 


CHAPTER  XXII, 

TRAVELING    ON    THE    PLAINS. 

I  WAITED  another  day  for  the  rain  to  subside,  but  the  wind  still 
blew  up  the  river  and  the  sky  remained  hopelessly  murk  and 
lowering.  I  therefore  buttoned  up  my  corduroy  coat,  thrust  my 
head  through  the  centre  of  my  sarape,  and  set  out  in  the  teeth  of 
the  gale.  Leaving  the  muddy  streets,  swamped  tents  and  shiver 
ing  population  of  Sacramento  City,  a  ride  of  a  mile  and  a  half 
brought  me  to  Butter's  Fort,  built  on  a  slight  rise  in  the  plain. 
It  is  a  large  quadrangular  structure,  with  thick  adobe  walls,  and 
square  bastions  at  each  corner.  Everything  about  it  showed  signs 
of  dilapidation  and  decay.  The  corrals  of  earth  had  been  trampled 
down  ;  doors  and  gateways  were  broken  through  the  walls,  and  all 
kinds  of  building  materials  carried  away.  A  two  story  wooden 
building,  with  flag-staff  bearing  the  American  colors,  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  court-yard,  and  low  ranges  of  buildings  around  the 
sides  were  variously  occupied  as  hospitals,  stores,  drinking  and 
gaming  shops  and  dwellings.  The  hospital,  under  the  charge  of 
Drs.  Deal  and  Martin,  was  said  to  be  the  best  regulated  in  the 
district.  It  was  at  the  time  filled  with  fever  patients,  who  re 
ceived  nursing  and  medical  attendance  for  $100  per  week. 

Behind  the  fort,  at  the  distance  of  quarter  of  a  mile,  flows  the 


228  ELDORADO. 

Rio  Americano,  with  several  fine  grazing  ranches  on  its  banks 
The  view  on  all  sides  is  over  a  level  plain,  streaked  with  lines  of 
timber,  and  bounded  on  the  east  and  west,  in  clear  weather,  by  tha 
distant  ranges  of  the  Coast  Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Three  or  four  houses  have  sprung  up  on  the  low  ground  in  front 
of  the  fort  during  the  summer.  Riding  up  to  a  large  unfinished 
frame  building  to  make  inquiries  about  the  road,  I  was  answered 
by  a  man  whom  I  afterwards  learned  was  the  notorious  Keysburg 
the  same  who  came  out  with  the  emigration  of  1846,  and  lived  al] 
winter  among  the  mountains  on  the  dead  bodies  of  his  companions. 
He  was  of  a  stout,  large  frame,  with  an  exceedingly  coarse,  sen 
sual  expression  of  countenance,  and  even  had  I  not  heard  his 
revolting  history,  I  should  have  marked  his  as  a  wholly  anima] 
face.  It  remains  in  my  memory  now  like  that  of  an  ogre,  and  I 
only  remember  it  with  a  shudder.  One  of  those  who  went  out  to 
the  Camp  of  Death,  after  the  snows  were  melted,  described  to  ma 
the  horrid  circumstances  under  which  they  found  him — seated 
like  a  ghoul,  in  the  midst  of  dead  bodies,  with  his  face  and  hands 
smeared  with  blood,  and  a  kettle  of  human  flesh  boiling  over  the 
fire.  He  had  become  a  creature  too  foul  and  devilish  for  this 
earth,  and  the  forbearance  with  which  the  men  whose  children  he 
had  devoured  while  they  were  toiling  back  to  his  succor  through 
almost  fathomless  snows,  refrained  from  putting  him  to  death,  ia 
to  be  wondered  at.  He  had  not  the  plea  of  necessity  in  the  use 
of  this  revolting  food  ;  for  the  body  of  an  ox,  which  had  been 
thawed  out  of  the  snow,  was  found  untouched  near  his  cabin. 
He  spoke  with  a  sort  of  fiendish  satisfaction,  of  the  meals 
he  had  made,  and  the  men  were  obliged  to  drag  him  away 
from  them  by  main  force,  not  without  the  terrible  convic 
tion  that  some  of  the  victims  had  been  put  to  a  violent  doatL 


NIGHT,  RAIN  AND  A   RANCHE.  229 

to  glut  his  appetite.  There  is  no  creation  in  the  whole  range  of 
fiction,  so  dark  and  awful  in  its  character,  as  this  man. 

After  passing  the  first  belt  of  timber,  I  was  alone  on  the  plains, 
which  looked  strikingly  bleak  and  desolate  under  the  dark  and 
rainy  sky.  The  road  was  filled  with  pools  of  mud  and  water,  by 
which,  when  night  came  down  on  the  changeless  waste,  I  was 
enabled  to  find  my  way.  The  rain  set  in  again,  adding  greatly  to 
the  discomfort  of  such  travel.  My  gray  mare,  too,  lagged  more 
than  I  liked,  and  I  began  to  calculate  my  chances  of  remaining 
all  night  on  the  plain.  About  two  hours  after  dark,  however,  a 
faint  light  glimmered  in  the  distance,  and  I  finally  reached  the 
place  of  my  destination — Murphy's  Ranche  on  the  Cosumne 
River.  An  Indian  boy  tied  my  horse  to  a  haystack,  and  Mrs. 
Murphy  set  about  baking  some  biscuit  in  a  pan,  and  roasting  a 
piece  of  beef  for  me  on  a  wooden  spit.  A  company  of  gold-dig 
gers,  on  their  way  from  the  Yuba  to  winter  on  the  Mariposa,  had 
possession  of  one  end  of  the  house,  where  they  lay  rolled  in  their 
blankets,  their  forms  barely  discernible  through  the  smoke  sent 
out  by  the  rain-soaked  wood  of  which  their  fire  was  made.  T 
talked  an  hour  with  them  about  the  prospects  of  mining  on  the 
different  rivers,  and  then  lay  down  to  sleep  on  the  clay  floor. 

The  next  morning  the  sky  was  as  thick,  heavy  and  gray  as  a 
Mackinaw  blanket,  with  a  precocious  drizzle,  betokening  a  storm. 
Nevertheless,  I  saddled  and  started  for  Hick's  Ranche,  a  day's 
journey  distant,  in  the  edge  of  the  mountains.  I  forded  the 
Cosumne  River,  (almost  universally  pronounced  Mokosume^  at 
this  place  a  clear,  swift  stream,  bordered  by  dense  thickets.  It 
was  already  up  to  my  saddle-skirts,  and  rapidly  rising.  Two  or 
three  tule  huts  stood  on  the  opposite  bank,  an4  a  number  of  dirty, 
stupid  Indian  faces  stared  at  me  through  the  apertures.  Taking 


230  ELDORADO. 

a  dim  wagon-trail,  according  to  directions,  I  struck  out  once  more 
on  the  open  plains.  The  travel  was  very  toilsome,  my  horse'a 
feet  sinking  deeply  into  the  wet,  soft  soil.  The  further  I  went 
the  worse  it  became.  After  making  five  miles,  I  reached  some 
scattering  oak  timber,  where  I  was  forced  to  take  shelter  from  the 
rain,  which  now  beat  down  drenchingly.  Cold  and  wet,  I  waited 
two  hours  in  that  dismal  solitude  for  the  flood  to  cease,  and  taking 
advantage  of  the  first  lull,  turned  about  and  rode  back  to  the 
ranche.  All  that  night  it  rained  hard,  and  the  second  morning 
opened  with  a  prospect  more  dreary  than  ever. 

My  companions  in  that  adobe  limbo  were  the  miners,  who  had 
been  spending  the  Summer  on  the  upper  bars  of  the  Yuba.  Ac 
cording  to  their  accounts,  the  average  yield  of  the  Yuba  diggings 
was  near  two  ounces  for  each  man.  Those  who  had  taken  out 
claims  of  eight  paces  square  in  the  beginning  of  the  season,  fre 
quently  made  $10,000  and  upwards.  Owing  to  the  severity  of 
the  Winter  in  that  region,  the  greater  portion  o  the  miners  were 
moving  southward  until  the  Spring.  Several  companies  came  up 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  but  as  the  ranche  was  full,  they  were 
constrained  to  pitch  their  tents  along  the  banks  of  the  swollen 
Cosumne.  Mr.  Murphy,  I  found,  was  the  son  of  the  old  gentleman 
whose  hospitalities  I  had  shared  in  the  valley  of  San  Jose.  He 
had  been  living  three  years  on  the  river,  and  his  three  sturdy  young 
sons  could  ride  and  throw  the  lariat  equal  to  any  Californian. 
There  were  two  or  three  Indian  boys  belonging  to  the  house,  ona 
of  whom,  a  solid,  shock-headed  urchin,  as  grave  as  if  he  was  born 
to  be  a  "  medicine-man,"  did  all  the  household  duties  with  great 
precision  and  steadiness.  He  was  called  "  Billy,"  and  though 
he  understood  English  as  well  as  his  own  language,  I  never  heard 
bun  speak.  My  only  relief,  during  the  wearisome  detention,  wag 


THE    NEVADA    AT    SUNSET.  231 

in  watching  his  deliberate  motions,  and  wondering  what  thoughts, 
or  whether  any  thoughts  stirred  under  his  immoveable  face. 

The  afternoon  of  the  second  day  the  clouds  lifted,  and  we  saw 
the  entire  line  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  white  and  cold  against  the 
background  of  the  receding  storm.  As  the  sun  broke  forth,  near 
its  setting,  peak  after  peak  became  visible,  far  away  to  north 
and  south,  till  the  ridge  of  eternal  snow  was  unbroken  for  at  least 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  The  peaks  around  the  head-waters  of  the 
American  Fork,  highest  of  all,  were  directly  in  front.  The  pure 
white  of  their  sides  became  gradually  imbued  with  a  rosy  flame, 
and  their  cones  and  pinnacles  burned  like  points  of  fire.  In  the 
last  glow  of  the  sun,  long  after  it  had  set  to  us,  the  splendor  of 
the  whole  range,  deepening  from  gold  to  rose,  from  rose  to  crim 
son,  and  fading  at  last  into  an  ashy  violet,  surpassed  even  the 
famous  "  Alp-glow,"  as  I  have  seen  it  from  the  plains  of  Pied 
mont. 

An  old  hunter  living  on  the  ranche  came  galloping  up,  with  a 
fat,  black-tailed  doe  at  the  end  of  his  lariat.  He  had  first  broken 
the  hind  leg  of  the  poor  beast  with  a  ball,  and  then  caught  her 
running.  The  pleading  expression  of  her  large  black  eyes  was 
almost  human,  but  her  captor  coolly  drew  his  knife  across  her 
throat,  and  left  her  to  bleed  to  death.  She  lay  on  the  ground, 
uttering  a  piteous  bleat  as  her  panting  became  thick  and  difficult, 
but  not  until  the  last  agony  was  wholly  over,  did  the  dull  film  steal 
across  the  beauty  of  her  lustrous  eyes. 

On  the  third  morning  I  succeeded  in  leaving  the  ranche,  where 
I  had  been  very  hospitably  entertained  at  four  dollars  a  day  for 
myself  and  horse.  The  Cosumne  was  very  much  swollen  by  the 
rains,  but  my  gray  mare  swam  bravely,  and  took  me  across  with 
but  a  slight  wetting.  I  passed  my  previous  halting-place,  and  was 


232  ELDORADO. 

advancing  with  difficulty  through  the  mud  of  the  plains,  when,  on 
climbing  a  small  "  rise,"  I  suddenly  found  myself  confronted  by 
four  grizzly  bears — two  of  them  half-grown  cubs — who  had  posses 
sion  of  a  grassy  bottom  on  the  other  side.  They  were  not  more 
than  two  hundred  yards  distant.  I  halted  and  looked  at  them, 
and  they  at  me,  and  I  must  say  they  seemed  the  most  unconcerned 
of  the  two  parties.  My  pistols  would  kill  nothing  bigger  than  a 
coyote,  and  they  could  easily  have  outrun  my  horse  ;  so  I  went 
my  way,  keeping  an  eye  on  the  most  convenient  tree.  In  case  of 
an  attack,  the  choice  of  a  place  of  refuge  would  have  been  a  deli 
cate  matter,  since  the  bears  can  climb  up  a  large  tree  and  gnaw 
down  a  small  one.  It  required  some  skill,  therefore,  in  selecting 
a  trunk  of  proper  size.  At  Murphy's,  the  night  previous,  they 
told  me  there  had  been  plenty  of  u  bear-sign"  along  the  river,  and 
in  the  "  pockets"  of  solid  ground  among  the  tule.  As  the  rainy 
season  sets  in  they  always  come  down  from  the  mountains. 

After  traveling  eight  or  ten  miles  the  wagon  trails  began  to 
scatter,  and  with  my  imperfect  knowledge  of  prairie  hieroglyphics, 
I  was  soon  at  fault.  The  sky  was  by  this  time  clear  and  bright ; 
and  rather  than  puzzle  myself  with  wheel-tracks  leading  every 
where,  and  cattle-tracks  leading  nowhere,  I  guessed  at  the  location 
of  the  ranche  to  which  I  was  bound  and  took  a  bee-line  towards  it. 

The  knowledge  of  tracks  and  marks  is  a  very  important  part  01 
the  education  of  a  woodsman.  It  is  only  obtained  by  unlearning, 
or  forgetting  for  the  time,  all  one's  civilized  acquirements  and  re 
calling  the  original  instincts  of  the  animal.  An  observing  man, 
fresh  from  the  city,  might  with  some  study  determine  the  character 
of  a  track,  but  it  is  the  habit  of  observing  them  rather  than  the 
discriminating  faculty,  which  enables  the  genuine  hunter  to  peruse 
the  earth  like  a  volume,  and  confidently  pronounce  on  the  number 


PRAIRIE    AND    WOOto    CRAFT.  233 

and  character  of  all  the  animals  and  men  that  have  lately  passed 
over  its  surface.  Where  an  inexperienced  eye  could  discern  no 
mark,  he  will  note  a  hundred  trails,  and  follow  any  particular  one 
through  the  maze,  with  a  faculty  of  sight  as  unerring  as  the  power 
of  scent  in  a  dog.  I  was  necessitated,  during  my  journey  in  the 
interior  of  California,  to  pay  some  attention  to  this  craft,  but  I 
never  got  beyond  the  rudiments. 

Another  necessary  faculty,  as  I  had  constant  occasion  to  notice, 
is  that  of  observing  and  remembering  the  form,  color  and  character 
of  animals.  This  may  seem  a  simple  thing  ;  but  let  any  one,  at 
the  close  of  a  ride  in  the  country,  endeavor  to  describe  all  the 
horses,  mules  and  oxen  he  has  seen,  and  he  will  find  himself  at  fault. 
A  Californian  will  remember  and  give  a  particular  description  of  a 
hundred  animals,  which  he  has  passed  in  a  day's  journey,  and  be 
able  to  recognize  and  identify  any  one  of  them.  Horses  and  mules 
are  to  him  what  men,  newspapers,  books  and  machinery  are  to  us ; 
they  are  the  only  science  he  need  know  or  learn.  The  habit  of 
noticing  them  is  easily  acquired,  and  is  extremely  useful  in  a 
country  where  there  are  neither  pounds  nor  fences. 

The  heavy  canopy  of  clouds  was  lifted  from  the  plain  almost  as 
suddenly  as  the  cover  from  a  roast  turkey  at  a  hotel  dinner,  when 
the  head  waiter  has  given  the  wink.  The  snows  of  the  Nevada 
shone  white  along  the  clear  horizon  ;  I  could  see  for  many  a  league 
on  every  side,  but  I  was  alone  on  the  broad,  warm  landscape. 
Over  wastes  of  loose,  gravelly  soil,  into  which  my  horse  sank  abovo 
the  fetlocks — across  barren  ridges,  alternating  with  marshy  hollows 
and  pools  of  water,  I  toiled  for  hours,  and  near  sunset  reached  the 
first  low,  timbered  hills  on  the  margin  of  the  plain.  I  dismounted 
and  led  my  weary  horse  for  a  mile  or  two,  but  as  it  grew  dark, 
was  obliged  to  halt  in  a  little  glen — a  most  bear-ish  looking  place, 


234  ELDORADO. 

filled  with  thick  chapparal.  A  fallen  tree  supplied  me  with  fuel 
to  hand,  and  I  soon  had  a  glowing  fire,  beside  which  I  spread  my 
blankets  and  lay  down.  Getting  up  at  midnight  to  throw  on  more 
logs,  I  found  my  horse  gone,  and  searched  the  chapparal  for  an 
hour,  wondering  how  I  should  fare,  trudging  along  on  foot,  with 
the  saddle  on  my  shoulders.  At  last  I  found  her  in  a  distant  part 
of  the  wood,  with  the  lariat  wound  around  a  tree.  After  this  I 
slept  no  more,  but  lay  gazing  on  the  flickering  camp-fire,  and  her 
gray  figure  as  she  moved  about  in  the  dusk.  Towards  dawn  the 
tinkle  of  a  distant  mule-bell  and  afterwards  the  crowing  of  a  cock 
gave  me  welcome  signs  of  near  habitation  ;  and,  saddling  with  the 
first  streak  of  light,  I  pushed  on,  still  in  the  same  direction,  through 
a  thick  patch  of  thorny  chapparal,  and  finally  reached  the  brow  of 
a  wooded  ridge  just  as  the  sun  was  rising. 

Oh,  the  cool,  fresh  beauty  of  that  morning !  The  sky  was 
deliciously  pure  and  soft,  and  the  tips  of  the  pines  on  the  hills 
were  kindled  with  a  rosy  flame  from  the  new-risen  sun.  Below 
me  lay  a  beautiful  valley,  across  which  ran  a  line  of  timber,  be 
traying,  by  its  luxuriance,  the  water-course  it  shaded.  The 
reaches  of  meadow  between  were  green  and  sparkling  with  dew  ; 
here  and  there,  among  the  luxuriant  foliage,  peeped  the  white  top 
of  a  tent,  or  rose  the  pale-blue  threads  of  smoke  from  freshly- 
kindled  camp-fires.  Cattle  were  grazing  in  places,  and  the  tinkle 
of  the  bell  I  had  heard  sounded  a  blithe  welcome  from  one  of  the 
groups.  Beyond  the  tents,  in  the  skirts  of  a  splendid  clump  of 
trees  stood  the  very  ranche  to  which  I  was  bound. 

I  rode  up  and  asked  for  breakfast.  My  twenty-four  hours'  fast 
was  broken  by  a  huge  slice  of  roast  venison,  and  coffee  sweetened 
with  black  Mexican  sugar,  which  smacks  not  only  of  the  juice  of 
the  cane;  but  of  th?  loaves,  joints,  roots,  and  even  the  unctuous 


AMONG    THE    HILLS.  235 

soil  in  which  it  grows.  For  this  I  paid  a  dollar  and  a  half,  but  no 
money  could  procure  any  feed  for  my  famishing  horse.  Leaving 
the  ranche,  which  is  owned  by  a  settler  named  Hicks,  my  road  led 
along  the  left  bank  of  Sutter's  Creek  for  two  miles,  after  which  it 
struck  into  the  mountains.  Here  and  there,  in  the  gulches,  I 
noticed  signs  of  the  gold-hunters,  but  their  prospecting  did  not 
appear  to  have  been  successful.  The  timber  was  principally  pine 
and  oak,  and  of  the  smaller  growths,  the  red-barked  madrono  and 
a  species  of  esculus,  with  a  fruit  much  larger  than  our  Western 
buckeye.  The  hills  are  steep,  broken  and  with  little  apparent 
system.  A  close  observation,  however,  shows  them  to  have  a 
gradual  increase  of  elevation,  to  a  certain  point,  beyond  which 
they  fall  again.  As  in  the  sea  the  motion  of  the  long  swells  is 
seen  through  all  the  small  waves  of  the  surface,  so  this  broken 
region  shows  a  succession  of  parallel  ridges,  regularly  increasing 
in  height  till  they  reach  the  Sierra  Nevada — the  "  tenth  wave," 
with  the  white  foam  on  its  crest. 

About  noon,  I  came  down  again  upon  Sutter's  Creek  in  a  little 
valley,  settled  by  miners.  A  number  of  tents  were  pitched  along 
the  stream,  and  some  log  houses  for  the  winter  were  in  process  of 
erection.  The  diggings  in  the  valley  were  quite  profitable  during 
the  dry  season,  especially  in  a  canon  above.  At  the  time  I  passed, 
the  miners  were  making  from  half  an  ounce  to  an  ounce  per  day. 
I  procured  a  very  good  dinner  at  Humphrey's  tent,  and  attempted 
to  feed  my  famishing  gray  with  Indian  meal  at  half  a  dollar  the 
pound  ;  but,  starving  as  she  was,  she  refused  to  eat  it.  Her  pace 
had  by  this  time  dwindled  to  a  very  slow  walk,  and  I  could  not 
find  it  in  my  heart  to  use  the  spur.  Leaving  the  place  immedi 
ately  after  dinner,  I  crossed  a  broad  mountain,  and  descended  to 
Jackson's  Creek,  where  a  still  greater  number  of  miners  were 


236  ELDORADO. 

congregated.  Not  the  Creek  only,  but  ai  the  ravines  in  the 
mountains  around,  furnished  ground  for  their  winter  labors  A 
little  knoll  in  the  valley,  above  the  reach  of  floods,  was  entirely 
covered  with  their  white  tents.  The  hotel  tent  was  kept  by  an 
Oregonian  named  Cosgrove,  and  there  was  in  addition  a  French 
restaurant. 

From  Jackson's  Creek  I  took  a  footpath  to  the  Mokelumne. 
After  scaling  the  divide,  I  went  down  into  a  deep,  wild  ravine, 
where  the  path,  notched  along  its  almost  perpendicular  sides, 
threatened  to  give  way  beneath  my  horse's  feet.  Further  down, 
the  bottom  was  completely  turned  over  by  miners,  a  number  of 
whom  were  building  their  log  cabins.  The  rains  had  brought  at 
last  a  constant  supply  of  water,  and  pans  and  cradles  were  in  full 
operation  among  the  gravel ;  the  miners  were  nearly  all  French 
men,  and  appeared  to  be  doing  well.  The  ravine  finally  debouched 
upon  the  river  at  the  Middle  Bar.  I  found  the  current  deep  and 
swollen  by  the  rains,  which  had  broken  away  all  the  dams  made  for 
turning  it.  The  old  brush  town  was  nearly  deserted,  and  very  few 
persons  were  at  work  on  the  river  banks,  the  high  water  having 
driven  all  into  the  gulches,  which  continued  to  yield  as  much  as 
ever. 

I  forded  the  river  with  some  difficulty,  owing  to  the  deep  holes 
quarried  in  its  channel,  which  sometimes  plunged  my  horse  down 
to  the  neck.  On  turning  the  point  of  a  mountain  a  mile  below, 
T  came  again  in  sight  of  the  Lower  Bar,  and  recognized  the  fea 
tures  of  a  scene  which  had  become  so  familiar  during  my  visit  in 
August.  The  town  was  greatly  changed.  As  I  rode  up  the  hill, 
I  found  the  summer  huts  of  the  Sonorians  deserted  and  the  in 
habitants  gone  ;  Baptiste's  airy  hotel,  with  its  monte  and  dining 
tables,  which  had  done  us  service  as  beds,  was  not  to  be  found. 


A    KNOT    OF    POLITICIANS.  237 

I  feared  that  all  of  my  friends  were  gone,  and  I  had  made  the 
journey  in  vain.  The  place  was  fast  beginning  to  wear  a  look  of 
desolation,  when  as  I  passed  one  of  the  tents,  I  was  hailed  by  a 
rough-looking  fellow  dressed  in  a  red  flannel  shirt  and  striped 
jacket.  Who  should  it  be  but  Dr.  Gillette,  the  sharer  of  my  gro 
tesque  ride  to  Stockton  in  the  summer.  After  the  first  salutations 
were  over,  he  conducted  me  to  Mr.  James'  tent,  where  I  found 
my  old  comrade,  Col.  Lyons,  about  sitting  down  to  a  smoking 
dinner  of  beef,  venison  and  tortillas.  Dr.  Gwin,  one  of  the  candi 
dates  for  U.  S.  Senator,  had  just  arrived,  and  was  likewise  the 
guest  of  Mr.  James.  I  joined  him  in  doing  execution  at  the 
table,  with  the  more  satisfaction,  because  my  poor  mare  had  about 
a  quart  of  corn — the  last  to  be  had  in  the  place — for  her  supper. 
After  dinner,  Mr.  Morse,  of  New  Orleans,  candidate  for  Con 
gress,  and  Mr.  Brooks,  of  New  York,  for  the  Assembly,  made 
their  appearance.  We  had  a  rare  knot  of  politicians.  Col. 
Lyons  was  a  prominent  candidate  -  for  the  State  Senate,  and  we 
only  lacked  the  genial  presence  of  Col.  Steuart,  and  the  jolly  one 
of  Capt.  McDougal  (who  were  not  far  off,  somewhere  in  the  dig 
gings,)  to  have  had  all  the  offices  represented,  from  the  Governor 
downwards.  After  dinner,  we  let  down  the  curtains  of  the  little 
tent,  stretched  ourselves  out  on  the  blankets,  lighted  our  cigars 
and  went  plump  into  a  discussion  of  California  politics.  Each  of 
the  candidates  had  his  bundle  of  tickets,  his  copies  of  the  Consti 
tution  and  his  particular  plans  of  action.  As  it  happened  there 
were  no  two  candidates  for  the  same  office  present,  the  discussion 
was  carried  on  in  perfect  harmony  and  with  a  feeling  of  good-fel 
lowship  withal.  Whatever  the  politics  of  the  different  aspirants, 
they  were,  socially,  most  companionable  men.  We  will  not  dis 
close  the  mysteries  of  the  conclave,  but  simply  remark  that  every 


238  ELDORADO. 

one  slept  as  soundly  on  his  hard  bed  as  though  he  were  dreaming 
of  a  triumphant  election. 

The  flood  in  the  river,  I  found,  had  proved  most  disastrous  to 
the  operations  on  the  bar.  Mr.  James'  company,  which,  after 
immense  labor  and  expense,  had  turned  the  channel  for  three 
hundred  yards,  and  was  just  beginning  to  realize  a  rich  profit  from 
the  river-bed,  was  suddenly  stopped.  The  last  day's  washing 
amounted  to  $1,700,  and  the  richest  portion  of  the  bed  was  yet 
to  be  washed.  The  entire  expense  of  the  undertaking,  which 
required  the  labor  of  forty  men  for  nearly  two  months,  was  more 
than  twenty  thousand  dollars,  not  more  than  half  of  which  had 
been  realized.  All  further  work  was  suspended  until  the  next 
summer,  when  the  returns  would  probably  make  full  amends  for 
the  delay  and  disappointment.  The  rich  gulch  was  filled  with 
miners,  most  of  whom  were  doing  an  excellent  business.  The 
strata  of  white  quartz  crossing  the  mountains  about  half  way  up 
the  gulch,  had  been  tried,  and  found  to  contain  rich  veins  of  gold 
A  company  of  about  twelve  had  commenced  sinking  a  shaft  to 
strike  it  at  right  angles.  In  fact,  the  metal  had  increased,  rather1 
than  diminished  in  quantity,  since  my  former  visit. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

JOURNEY    TO    THE    VOLCANO. 

MY  first  care  in  the  morning  was  to  procure  forage  for  my  inare. 
The  effects  of  famine  were  beginning  to  show  themselves  in  her 
appearance.  She  stood  dejectedly  beside  the  pine  stump  to  which 
she  was  tethered,  now  and  then  gnawing  a  piece  of  the  bark  to 
satisfy  the  cravings  of  her  stomach.  Her  flanks  were  thin  and 
her  sides  hollow,  and  she  looked  so  wistfully  at  me  with  her  dull, 
sunken  eyes,  that  I  set  out  at  once  in  the  endeavor  to  procure 
something  better  than  pine-bark  for  her  breakfast.  The  only 
thing  I  could  find  in  all  the  village  was  bread,  five  small  rolls  of 
which  I  bought  at  half  a  dollar  apiece,  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  her  greedily  devour  them.  This  feed,  however,  was  far 
too  expensive,  and  rather  than  see  her  starve  outright,  I  gave  her 
to  Gen.  Morse,  for  the  ride  back  to  Sacramento  City,  his  own 
horse  having  broken  loose  during  the  night.  The  grass,  which 
had  already  begun  to  sprout,  was  not  more  than  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  height,  and  afforded  no  sustenance  to  cattle.  I  therefore 
reluctantly  decided  to  shorten  my  journey,  and  perform  the 
remainder  of  it  on  foot. 

The  same  night  of  my  arrival  on  the  river,  I  heard  many  stories 
about  "  The  Volcano" — a  place  some  twenty  miles  further  into 


240  ELDORADO. 

the  heart  of  the  mountains,  where,  it  was  said,  a  very  rich  de 
posit  of  gold  had  been  found,  near  the  mouth  of  an  extinct  crater. 
I  made  due  allowance  for  the  size  which  gold  lumps  attain,  the 
farther  they  roll,  but  a  curiosity  to  see  some  of  the  volcanic  ap 
pearances  which  are  said  to  become  frequent  as  you  approach  the 
snowy  ridge,  induced  me  to  start  in  the  morning  after  having  seen 
my  horse's  head  turned  again  towards  the  region  of  hay. 

Dr.  Gillette  kindly  offered  to  accompany  me  on  the  trip — an 
offer  the  more  welcome,  on  account  of  the  additional  security  it 
gave  me  against  hostile  Indians.  The  entire  mountain  district, 
above  the  Upper  Bar  (about  four  miles  from  the  Lower  Bar) — 
and  particularly  at  the  Forks  of  the  Mokelumne — was  overrun 
with  Indians,  some  of  whom  were  of  the  tribe  of  the  old  chief, 
Polo,  and  others  of  a  tribe  lately  made  hostile  to  the  Americans 
by  an  affray  at  the  Volcano.  Polo,  it  was  rumored  had  been 
shot;  but  I  gave  no  credit  to  the  report.  He  was  much  too 
cautious  and  cunning,  to  be  entrapped.  To  the  miners  about 
that  region,  he  was  as  much  of  a  will-o'-the-wisp  as  Abdel- 
Kader  was  to  the  French.  More  than  once  he  visited  the  dig 
gings  in  disguise,  and  no  small  company,  prospecting  above  the 
Forks,  was  safe  from  having  a  brush  with  his  braves. 

We  took  care  to  provide  ourselves  with  a  good  double-barreled 
rifle  before  starting.  Our  route  lay  up  the  river  to  the  Middle 
Bar.  Climbing  the  mountain  behind  that  place,  we  took  a  line 
for  the  Butte,  a  lofty,  isolated  peak,  which  serves  as  a  landmark 
for  the  country  between  the  Cosumne  and  the  Mokelumne.  De 
scending  through  wild,  wooded  ravines,  we  struck  an  Indian  trail, 
with  fresh  tracks  upon  it.  The  thick  chapparal,  here  and  there, 
made  us  think  of  ambuscades,  and  we  traveled  more  cautiously  and 
silently  than  was  actually  needful.  In  the  deep  nooks  and  re- 


THE    FOREST    TRAIL.  24 1 

cesses  of  the  mountains  we  noticed  ruined  huts  and  the  ashes  of 
deserted  canip-fires.  The  gulches  in  all  directions  had  been  dug 
up  by  gold-hunters  during  the  summer.  One,  in  particular,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Butte,  showed — as  we  ascended  it,  for  more  than  a 
mile — scarcely  a  foot  of  soil  untouched.  The  amount  of  gold  ob 
tained  from  it  must  have  been  very  great.  The  traces  of  these 
operations,  deep  in  the  wilderness,  accounted  for  the  fact  of  miners 
becoming  suddenly  rich,  after  disappearing  from  the  Bars  for  a 
few  days. 

We  climbed  to  the  level  of  the  mountain  region,  out  of  which 
the  Butte  towered  a  thousand  feet  above  us.  Our  trail  led  east 
ward  from  its  foot,  towards  the  Sierra  Nevada,  whose  shining  sum 
mits  seemed  close  at  hand.  The  hills  were  dotted  with  forests  of 
pine  and  oak,  many  specimens  of  the  former  tree  rising  to  the 
height  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  cones,  of  a  dark  red 
color,  were  fully  eighteen  inches  in  length.  The  madrono,  which 
rises  to  a  stately  tree  in  the  mountains  near  Monterey,  was  here  a 
rough  shrub,  looking,  with  its  blood-red  arms  and  lifeless  foliage, 
as  if  it  had  been  planted  over  a  murderer's  grave.  The  ground,  in 
the  sheltered  hollows,  was  covered  with  large  acorns,  very  little 
inferior  to  chesnuts  in  taste ;  the  deer  and  bear  become  very  fat 
at  this  season,  from  feeding  upon  them.  They  form  the  principal 
subsistence  of  the  Indian  tribes  during  the  winter.  In  one  of  the 
ravines  we  found  an  "  Indian  wind-mill,"  as  the  miners  call  it — n 
flat  rock,  with  half  a  dozen  circular  holes  on  its  surface,  beside 
each  of  which  lay  a  round  stone,  used  in  pulverizing  the  acorns. 
"We  passed  one  or  two  inhabited  camps  a  short  distance  from  the 
trail,  but  were  apparently  unobserved.  Further  on.  in  the  forest, 
we  came  suddenly  upon  two  young  Indians,  who  were  going  on  a 

trail  leading  towards  the  Forks.     They  started  at  first  to  run,  but 
VOL.  i.       11 


242  ELDORADO. 

stopped  when  we  hailed  them  ;  they  understood  neither  English 
nor  Spanish,  but  some  tobacco  which  the  doctor  gave  them  wap 
very  joyfully  received. 

The  stillness  and  beauty  of  the  shaded  glens  through  which  we 
traveled  were  very  impressive.  Threaded  by  clear  streams  which 
turned  the  unsightly  holes  left  by  the  miners  into  pools  of  crystal, 
mirroring  the  boughs  far  above,  their  fresh,  cool  aspect  was  very 
different  from  the  glowing  furnaces  they  form  in  summer.  The 
foliage  was  still  very  little  changed  ;  only  the  leaves  of  the  buck 
eye  had  fallen,  and  its  polished  nuts  filled  the  paths.  The  ash  was 
turned  to  a  blazing  gold,  and  made  a  perpetual  sunset  in  the  woods. 
But  the  oak  here  wore  an  evergreen  livery ;  the  grass  was  already 
shooting  up  over  all  the  soil,  and  the  Winter  at  hand  was  so  decked 
in  the  mixed  trappings  of  Summer  Autumn  and  Spring,  that  we 
hardly  recognized  him. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  accidentally  took  a  side  trail,  which 
led  up  a  narrow  ravine  and  finally  brought  us  to  an  open  space 
among  the  hills,  where  a  company  of  prospecters  were  engaged  in 
pitching  their  tent  for  the  winter.  They  were  seven  in  number, 
mostly  sailors,  and  under  the  command  of  a  Virginian  named 
Woodhouse.  Their  pack -mules  had  just  arrived  with  supplies 
from  their  former  camp,  and  a  half- naked  Indian  was  trying  to 
get  some  flour.  On  learning  the  scarcity  of  the  article  on  the 
river,  they  refused  to  sell  him  any.  He  importuned  them  some 
time,  but  in  vain  :  "  Very  well,"  said  he,  "  you  shall  be  driven 
off  to-morrow,"  and  went  away.  We  were  very  hungry,  and  em 
ployed  the  cook  of  the  company  to  get  us  something  to  eat.  He 
built  a  fire,  fried  some  salt  pork,  and  made  us  a  dish  of  pancakes. 
I  could  not  help  admiring  the  dexterity  with  which  he  tossed  the 
cake  in  the  air  and  caught  it  on  the  othar  side  as  it  came  down 


CAMPING    IN    A    STORM.  243 

into  the  pan.  We  ate  with  an  animal  voracity,  for  the  usual 
California  appetite — equal  to  that  of  three  men  at  home — was 
sharpened  by  our  long  walk. 

It  was  now  beginning  to  grow  dark,  and  a  rain  coming  on.  We 
were  seven  miles  from  the  Volcano,  and  would  have  preferred  re 
maining  for  the  night,  had  the  miners  given  any  encouragement 
to  our  hints  on  the  subject.  Instead  of  this,  it  seemed  to  us  that 
they  were  suspicious  of  our  being  spies  upon  their  prospecting,  so 
we  left  them  and  again  plunged  into  the  forest.  Regaining  the 
proper  trail  we  went  at  a  rapid  rate  through  gloomy  ravines,  which 
were  canopied  by  thick  mist.  It  grew  darker,  and  the  rain  began 
to  fall.  We  pushed  on  in  silence,  hoping  to  reach  some  place  of 
shelter,  but  the  trail  became  more  and  more  indistinct,  till  at  last 
we  kept  it  with  our  feet  rather  than  our  eyes.  I  think  we  must 
have  walked  in  it  a  mile  after  we  ceased  entirely  to  see  it.  Once 
or  twice  we  heard  yells  in  the  distance,  which  we  took  to  be  those 
of  a  party  of  the  hostile  Indians.  The  air  grew  pitchy  dark,  and 
the  rain  fell  so  fast,  that  we  lost  the  trail  and  determined  to  stop 
for  the  night.  We  had  just  crossed  a  sort  of  divide,  and  our  posi 
tion,  as  near  as  we  could  tell  in  the  gloom,  was  at  the  entrance  of 
a  deep  ravine,  entirely  covered  with  forests,  and  therefore  a  toler 
ably  secure  covert.  I  had  two  or  three  matches  in  my  pocket, 
from  which  we  struck  a  flame,  at  the  foot  of  a  pine  tree.  We  fed 
it  daintily  at  first  with  the  dry  needles  and  filaments  of  bark,  till  it 
grew  strong  enough  and  hungry  enough  to  dry  its  own  fuel. 
Swinging  with  our  whole  weight  to  the  ends  of  the  boughs,  we 
snapped  off  sufficient  to  last  for  the  night,  and  then  lay  down  on 
the  dark  side  of  the  tree,  with  our  arms  between  us  to  keep  them 
dry.  The  cold,  incessant  rain,  pouring  down  through  the  boughs, 
soon  drenched  us  quite,  and  we  crawled  around  to  the  other  side 


244  ELDORADO. 

The  Indians,  like  Death,  love  a  shining  mark  ;  and  the  thought  of 
an  arrow  sent  out  of  the  gloom  around  us,  made  our  backs  feel  un 
comfortable  as  we  stood  before  the  fire.  Lying  in  the  rain,  how 
ever,  without  blankets,  was  equally  unpleasant ;  so  we  took  alter 
nate  half-hours  of  soaking  and  drying. 

Salt  pork  and  exercise  combined,  gave  us  an  intolerable  thirst, 
to  allay  which  we  made  torches  of  cedar  bark  and  went  down  to 
Ihe  bottom  of  the  ravine  for  water.  There  was  none  to  be  found  ; 
and  we  were  about  giving  up  the  search  when  we  came  to  a  young 
pine,  whose  myriad  needles  were  bent  down  with  then*  burden  of 
rain-drops.  No  nectar  was  ever  half  so  delicious.  We  caught 
the  twigs  in  our  mouths  and  drained  them  dry,  then  cut  down  the 
tree  and  carried  it  back  in  triumph  to  our  fire,  where  we  planted 
it  and  let  the  rain  fill  up  its  aromatic  beakers.  The  night  seemed 
interminable.  The  sound  of  the  rain  was  like  stealthy  footsteps 
on  the  leaves  ;  the  howling  of  wolves  and  the  roar  of  water-falls  at 
a  distance,  startled  us.  Occasionally,  the  tread  of  some  animal 
among  the  trees — possibly  a  deer,  attracted  by  the  flame — put  all 
our  senses  on  the  alert.  Just  before  daybreak  the  storm  ceased, 
and  in  ten  minutes  afterwards  the  sky  was  without  a  cloud. 

The  morning  broke  brightly  and  cheeringly.  We  resumed  the 
path,  which  led  into  a  grassy  meadow  about  a  mile  long,  at  the 
further  end  of  which  we  struck  a  wagon  trail.  A  saucy  wolf  came 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  barked  at  us  most  imperti 
nently,  but  we  did  not  think  him  worth  the  powder.  The  air  was 
fragrant  with  the  smell  of  cedar — a  species  of  the  thuya — which 
here  grows  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet.  Its  boles  are  per 
fectly  straight  and  symmetrical,  and  may  be  split  with  the  axe 
into  boards  and  shingles.  Many  of  the  trees  had  been  felled  for 
this  purpose,  and  lay  by  the  roadside.  From  the  top  of  a  little 


THE    VOLCANIC    COMMUNITY.  245 

ridge  we  looked  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Volcano,  and  could  see 
the  smoke  rising  from  the  tents.  The  encampment  is  in  a  deep 
basin,  surrounded  by  volcanic  hills,  several  of  which  contain  ex 
tinct  craters.  A  small  stream  flows  through  the  midst.  The 
tents  and  cabins  of  the  miners  are  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  hills, 
and  the  diggings  are  partly  in  the  basin  and  partly  in  gulches  which 
branch  off  from  its  northern  side.  The  location  is  very  beautiful, 
and  more  healthy  than  the  large  rivers. 

Descending  into  the  valley,  we  stopped  at  a  tent  for  breakfast, 
which  was  got  ready  by  the  only  female  in  the  settlement — a  wo 
man  from  Pennsylvania,  whose  husband  died  on  the  journey  out. 
A  number  of  the  miners  were  from  the  same  place.  Maj.  Bart- 
lett  of  Louisiana,  with  his  company,  were  also  at  work  there  ;  and 
in  another  valley,  beyond  the  wooded  ridge  to  the  north-east,  Capt. 
Jones  of  Illinois  was  located,  with  a  company  of  about  sixty  men. 
The  whole  number  of  persons  at  this  digging  was  nearly  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty,  and  they  had  elected  an  Alcalde  and  adopted  laws 
for  their  government.  The  supplies  on  hand  were  very  scanty, 
but  they  had  more  on  the  way,  which  the  first  favorable  weather 
would  enable  them  to  receive. 

In  addition  to  my  motives  of  curiosity,  in  visiting  the  Volcano, 
I  was  empowered  with  a  political  mission  to  the  diggers.  The 
candidates  on  the  Mokelumne  gave1  me  letters  to  some  of  them, 
and  packages  of  tickets  which  I  was  enjoined  to  commend  to  their 
use.  On  delivering  the  letters,  I  found  I  was  considered  as  having 
authority  to  order  an  election — a  power  which  was  vested  only  in 
the  Prefect  of  the  District  or  his  special  agents.  At  the  sugges 
tion  of  some  of  the  miners  I  went  with  them  to  the  Alcalde,  in 
order  to  have  a  consultation.  I  disclaimed  all  authority  in  the 
matter,  but  explained  to  them  the  mode  in  which  the  elections 


246  ELDORADO. 

were  to  be  held  on  the  river,  and  recommended  them  to  adopt  a 
similar  action.  Owing  to  the  short  time  which  elapsed  between 
the  Governor's  proclamation  and  the  day  of  election,  it  was  im 
possible  for  the  Prefect  of  each  district  to  notify  all  the  organized 
communities.  The  only  plan,  therefore,  was  to  meet  on  the  ap 
pointed  day,  publicly  elect  Judges  and  Inspectors,  and  hold  the 
election  in  all  other  respects  according  to  the  requirements  of  the 
Constitution.  This  was  agreed  to  by  the  law-givers  of  the  Volcano 
as  the  most  advisable  mode  of  action.  But  behold  how  easy  it 
is,  in  a  primitive  community  like  this,  to  obtain  the  popular  favor  ! 
There  was,  on  one  of  the  tickets  in  the  San  Joaquin  district,  a 
candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  whose  surname  was  the  same  as 
mine,  and  the  Volcanics,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  took  me  to  be 
the  same  individual.  "  We  ^vill  vote  for  him,"  said  they,  "  be 
cause  he  came  here  to  see  us,  and  because  he  appears  to  under 
stand  the  law."  Accordingly,  the  whole  vote  of  the  place  was 
given  to  my  namesake,  but  intended  for  me.  Had  I  known  this 
fact  sooner,  I  might  have  been  tempted  to  run  for  Alcalde,  at  least. 
Major  Bartlett  went  with  us  to  examine  the  diggings.  The  al 
luvial  soil  of  the  basin  contains  little  gold,  but  has  been  dug  up 
very  extensively  by  the  miners,  in  search  of  the  clay  stratum ; 
beside  which  the  gold  is  found  in  coarse  grains,  mixed  with  sand 
and  gravel.  There  is,  however,  no  regularity  in  the  stratum  ; 
everything  bears  marks  of  violent  change  and  disruption.  In 
holes  dug  side  by  side,  I  noticed  that  the  clay  would  be  reached 
eighteen  inches  below  the  surface  in  one,  and  perhaps  eight  feet 
in  the  other.  This  makes  the  digging  something  of  a  lottery, 
those  who  find  a  deposit  always  finding  a  rich  one,  and  those  who 
find  none  making  nothing  at  all.  In  the  gulches  the  yield  is  more 
certain.  A  Mexican  had  lately  taken  twenty-eight  pounds  out  of 


APPEARANCE    OF    THE    EXTINCT    CRATERS.  247 

\ 

a  single  "  pocket ;"  another  miner,  having  struck  a  rich  spot, 
dug  $8,000  in  a  few  days.  Many  made  three,  four  and  five 
ounces  daily  for  several  days.  In  the  upper  valley  the  average 
was  about  an  ounce  a  day.  From  my  hasty  examination  of  the 
place,  I  should  not  think  the  gold  was  thrown  up  by  the  craters 
in  a  melted  state,  as  the  miners  imagine.  The  fact  of  its  being 
found  with  the  layer  of  clay  would  refute  this  idea.  From  the 
strata,  water-courses,  and  other  indications,  it  is  nevertheless  evi 
dent  that  large  slides  from  the  hills,  occasioned  by  earthquakes  or 
eruptions,  have  taken  place. 

I  climbed  the  hills  and  visited  two  of  the  craters,  neither  of 
which  appeared  to  be  the  main  opening  of  the  volcano.  On  the 
contrary,  I  should  rather  judge  them  to  be  vents  or  escape-holes 
for  the  confined  flame,  formed  in  the  sides  of  the  mountain.  The 
rocks,  by  upheaval,  are  thrown  into  irregular  cones,  and  show 
everywhere  the  marks  of  intense  heat.  Large  seams,  blackened 
by  the  subterranean  fire,  run  through  them,  and  in  the  highest 
parts  are  round,  smooth  holes,  a  foot  in  diameter,  to  some  of  which 
no  bottom  can  be  found.  These  are  evidently  the  last  flues 
through  which  the  air  and  flame  made  their  way,  as  the  surface 
hardened  over  the  cooling  volcano.  The  Indian  traditions  go  back 
to  the  time  when  these  craters  were  active,  but  their  chronology  is 
totally  indefinite,  and  I  am  not  geologist  enough  to  venture  an 
opinion.  Pines  at  least  a  century  old,  are  now  growing  on  the  rim 
of  the  craters.  Further  up  the  mountain,  the  miners  informed 
me,  there  are  large  beds  of  lava,  surrounding  craters  of  still  larger 
dimensions. 

We  took  dinner  at  Major  Bartlett's  tent,  and  started  on  our 
return  accompanied  by  Dr.  Carpentier,  of  Saratoga,  N.  Y.  Be 
fore  leaving,  I  took  pains  to  learn  the  particulars  of  the  recent 


24S  ELDORADO. 

fight  with  the  Indians  at  the  Volcano.  The  latter,  it  seems,  first 
discovered  the  placer,  and  were  digging  when  the  whites  arrived. 
They  made  room  for  them  at  once,  and  proposed  that  they  should 
work  peaceably  together.  Things  went  on  amicably  for  several 
days,  when  one  of  the  miners  missed  his  pick.  He  accused  the 
Indians  of  stealing  it ;  the  chief  declared  that  if  it  was  in  their 
camp  it  should  be  returned,  and  started  to  make  inquiries.  In 
stead  of  walking  he  ran  ;  upon  which  one  of  the  whites  raised  his 
rifle  and  shot  him.  The  Indians  then  armed  at  once.  The 
miners  called  up  the  remaining  white  men  from  the  placer,  and 
told  them  that  they  had  been  attacked  and  one  of  their  number 
killed.  The  consequence  of  this  false  information  was  a  general 
assault  upon  the  Indians  who  were  at  once  driven  off,  and  had  not 
returned  up  to  the  time  of  my  visit.  The  same  day  a  man  named 
Aldrich,  from  Boston,  was  found  in  the  meadow  on  the  trail  bv 
which  we  came,  pierced  with  three  arrows.  The  neighborhood 
of  the  Volcano  was  considered  dangerous  ground,  and  no  one 
thought  of  venturing  into  the  mountains,  unless  well  armed.  It 
is  due  to  the  miners  to  say,  that  on  learning  the  true  state  of  the 
quarrel,  they  banished  the  scoundrels  whose  heartless  cruelty 
had  placed  the  whole  community  in  peril. 

We  retraced  our  steps,  saw  the  snows  of  the  Nevada  turned  by 
the  sunset  to  a  brighter  gold  than  any  hidden  in  its  veins,  and 
reached  the  camp  of  the  prospecters  in  a  starry  and  beautiful 
twilight.  As  we  approached  through  the  trees,  in  the  gathering 
gloom,  they  shouted  to  us  to  keep  off,  taking  us  for  Indians,  but 
allowed  us  to  approach,  when  we  answered  in  English.  We  were 
kindly  received,  and  again  procured  an  excellent  supper.  The 
men  were  better  than  we  imagined.  They  had  been  anxious  about 
our  safety  the  previous  night,  and  fired  their  rifles  as  signals  to 


THE  TOP  OF  POLO  S  PEAK.  249 

us.  After  we  had  grown  tired  of  talking  around  the  blazing  camp- 
fire  about  grizzly  bears,  Mexicans,  Gila  deserts  and  gulches  whose 
pockets  were  filled  with  gold,  they  gave  us  a  corner  in  their  tent 
and  shared  their  blankets  with  us.  I  took  their  kindness  as  a  re 
buke  to  my  former  suspicions  of  their  selfishness,  and  slept  all 
the  better  for  the  happiness  of  being  undeceived. 

It  was  a  model  morning  that  dawned  upon  us.  The  splash  of 
a  fountain  in  the  sun,  the  gloss  of  a  white  dove's  wing,  the  wink 
ing  of  the  beaded  bubbles  on  Keats'  cool  draught  of  vintage,  could 
not  have  added  a  sparkle  to  its  brightness.  The  sky  was  as  blue 
and  keen  as  a  Damascus  blade,  and  the  air,  filled  with  a  resinous 
odor  of  pine,  cedar  and  wild  bay,  was  like  the  intoxication  of  new 
life  to  the  frame.  We  were  up  and  off  with  the  dawn,  and  walked 
several  miles  before  breakfast.  On  reaching  the  foot  of  the  Butte, 
Dr.  Gr.  and  myself  determined  to  make  the  ascent.  Its  ramparts 
of  red  volcanic  rock,  bristling  with  chapparal,  towered  a  thousand 
feet  above  us,  seemingly  near  at  hand  in  the  clear  air.  "We  be 
lieved  we  should  be  the  first  to  scale  its  summit.  The  miners  do 
not  waste  tune  in  climbing  peaks,  and  the  Indians  keep  aloof,  with 
superstitious  reverence,  from  the  dwelling-places  of  spirits. 

After  a  toilsome  ascent,  at  an  angle  of  45°,  we  reached  the 
summit.  Here,  where  we  supposed  no  human  foot  had  ever  been, 
we  found  on  the  crowning  stone — the  very  apex  of  the  pyramid — 
the  letters  "  D.  B."  rudely  cut  with  a  knife.  Shade  of  Daniel 
Boone  !  who  else  but  thou  could  have  been  pioneer  in  this  far 
corner  of  the  Farthest  West !  As  the  buried  soldier  is  awakened 
by  the  squadron  that  gallops  to  battle  over  his  grave,  has  the 
tramp  of  innumerable  trains  through  the  long  wilderness  called 
thee  forth  to  march  in  advance,  and  leave  thy  pioneer  mark  on 
every  unexplored  region  between  sea  and  sea  ? 


250  ELDORADO. 

Nevertheless  we  gave  the  name  of  Polo's  Peak  to  the  Butte — 
in  honor  of  the  dauntless  old  chief  who  presided  over  the  country 
round  about.  Before  I  left  the  region,  the  name  was  generally 
adopted  by  the  miners,  and  I  hope  future  travelers  will  remember 
it.  The  view  from  the  top  is  remarkably  fine.  Situated  about 
half-way  between  the  plain  and  the  dividing  ridge  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  the  Peak  overlooks  the  whole  mountain  country.  The 
general  appearance  is  broken  and  irregular,  except  to  the  east, 
where  the  ranges  are  higher.  The  mountains  within  ten  miles  of 
us  had  snow  on  their  crests,  and  the  Nevada — immaculate  and 
lustrous  in  its  hue — was  not  more  than  thirty  miles  distant.  The 
courses  of  the  Calaveras,  Mokelumne  and  Cosumne,  with  the 
smaller  creeks  between  them,  could  be  distinctly  traced.  In  the 
nearer  region  at  our  feet,  we  could  see  the  miners  at  work  felling 
logs  and  building  their  winter  cabins,  and  hear  the  far  whoop  of 
Indians,  from  their  hidden  rancherias.  On  the  west,  the  horizon 
was  bounded  by  the  Coast  Range,  Monte  Diablo  in  the  centre  and 
Suisun  Bay  making  a  gap  in  the  chain.  Between  that  blue  wall 
and  the  rough  region  at  our  feet  lay  the  great  plains  of  Sacra 
mento  and  San  Joaquin,  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  and  visible  for  at 
least  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  extent.  The  sky  was  per 
fectly  clear,  and  this  plain  alone,  of  all  the  landscape,  was  covered 
with  a  thick  white  fog,  the  upper  surface  of  which,  as  we  looked 
down  upon  it,  was  slowly  tossed  to  and  fro,  moving  and  shifting 
like  the  waves  of  an  agitated  sea. 

We  enjoyed  this  remarkable  prospect  for  an  hour,  and  then 
made  our  way  down  the  opposite  side  of  the  Peak,  following  bear 
and  deer  trails  through  patches  of  thorny  chapparal  and  long 
slopes  of  sliding  stones.  We  tarried  for  Dr.  Carpentier  in  one  of 
the  glens,  eating  the  acorns  which  lay  scattered  under  the  trees 


ELECTION    SCENES    AND    MINING    CHARACTERS.  251 

As  he  did  not  appear,  however,  we  climbed  the  river  hills  and 
came  down  on  the  Upper  Bar,  reaching  our  starting-point  in  time 
for  a  dinner  to  which  we  did  full  justice. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ELECTION    SCENES    AND    MINING    CHARACTERS. 

ON  my  arrival  at  the  Lower  Bar,  I  found  Mr.  Raney,  of  Stock 
ton,  who  had  made  the  journey  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  the 
roads  being  almost  impassable.  The  rainy  season  had  now  fairly 
set  in,  and  as  it  came  a  month  earlier  than  usual,  the  miners,  in 
most  cases,  were  without  their  winter  supplies.  Provisions  of  all 
kinds  had  greatly  advanced  in  price,  and  the  cost  of  freight  from 
Stockton  ran  up  at  once  to  75  cts.  per  Ib.  Flour  was  sold  on 
the  river  at  $1  per  Ib.  and  other  articles  were  in  the  same  pro 
portion  Much  anxiety  was  felt  lest  the  rams  should  not  abate, 
in  which  case  there  would  have  been  a  great  deal  of  suffering  on 
all  the  river  a. 

The  clouds  gradually  lowered  and  settled  down  on  the  topmost 
pines.  Towards  evening  a  chill  rain  came  on,  and  the  many 
gullies  on  the  hill-sides  were  filled  with  brown  torrents  that 
brawled  noisily  on  their  way  to  the  swollen  Mokelumne.  The  big 
drops  splashed  dismally  on  our  tent,  as  we  sat  within,  but  a 
double  cover  kept  us  completely  dry  and  the  ditch  dug  inside  the 
pins  turned  off  the  streams  that  poured  down  its  sides.  During 
the  night,  however,  the  wind  blew  violently  down  the  ravines,  and 


252  ELDORADO. 

the  skirts  Df  our  blankets  nearest  the  side  of  the  tent  were 
thoroughly  soaked.  My  boots  stood  under  a  leaky  part  of  the 
canvas,  and  as  I  hastened  to  put  them  on  next  morning,  without 
examination,  I  thrust  my  foot  into  about  three  inches  of  water 

The  Election  Day  dawned  wet  and  cheerlessly.  From  the  folds 
of  our  canvas  door,  we  looked  out  on  the  soaked  and  trickling 
hills  and  the  sodden,  dripping  tents.  Few  people  were  stirring 
about  the  place,  and  they  wore  such  a  forlorn  look  that  all  idea  of 
getting  up  a  special  enthusiasm  was  at  once  abandoned.  There 
was  no  motion  made  in  the  matter  until  towards  noon,  as  the  most 
of  the  miners  lay  dozing  in  their  tents.  The  Alcalde  acted  as 
Judge,  which  was  the  first  step  ;  next  there  were  two  Inspectors 
to  be  appointed.  I  was  requested  to  act  as  one,  but,  although  I 
had  been  long  enough  in  the  country  to  have  held  the  office,  I  de 
clined  to  accept  until  after  application  had  been  made  to  some  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  acquiescence  of  two  of  the  resident  traders 
relieved  me  of  the  responsibility.  The  election  was  held  in  the 
largest  tent  in  the  place,  the  Inspectors  being  seated  behind  the 
counter,  in  close  proximity  to  the  glasses  and  bottles,  the  calls  for 
which  were  quite  as  frequent  as  the  votes.  I  occupied  a  seat  next 
the  Alcalde,  on  a  rough  couch  covered  with  an  India-rubber 
blanket,  where  I  passed  the  day  in  looking  on  the  election  and 
studying  the  singular  characters  present. 

As  there  were  two  or  three  candidates  for  State  offices  in  the 
place,  the  drumming  up  of  voters  gave  one  a  refreshing  reminis 
cence  of  home.  The  choosing  of  candidates  from  lists,  nearly  all 
of  whom  were  entirely  unknown,  was  very  amusing.  Names,  in 
many  instances,  were  made  to  stand  for  principles ;  accordingly,  a 
Mr.  Fair  got  many  votes.  One  of  the  candidates;  who  had  been 
on  the  river  a  few  days  previous,  wearing  a  high-crowned  silk  hat, 


VOTING    AND    VOTERS.  253 

with  narrow  brim,  lost  about  twenty  votes  on  that  account.  Some 
went  no  further  than  to  vote  for  those  they  actually  knew.  One 
who  took  the  opposite  extreme,  justified  himself  in  this  wise : — 
"  When  I  left  home,"  said  he,  "  I  was  determined  to  go  it  blind. 
I  went  it  blind  in  coming  to  California,  and  I'm  not  going  to  stop 
now.  I  voted  for  the  Constitution,  and  I've  never  seen  the  Con 
stitution  I  voted  for  all  the  candidates,  and  I  don't  know  a 
damned  one  of  them.  I'm  going  it  blind  all  through,  I  am."  The 
Californians  and  resident  Mexicans  who  were  entitled  to  vote,  were 
in  high  spirits,  on  exercising  the  privilege  for  the  first  time  in 
their  lives.  It  made  no  difference  what  the  ticket  was  ;  the  fact 
of  their  having  voted  very  much  increased  their  self-importance, 
for  the  day  at  least. 

The  votes  polled  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  five,  all  of  which 
were  "For  the  Constitution."  The  number  of  miners  on  the 
Bar,  who  were  entitled  to  vote,  was  probably  double  this  number, 
but  those  who  were  at  work  up  among  the  gulches  remained  in 
their  tents,  on  account  of  the  rain.  A  company  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river  was  completely  cut  off  from  the  polls  by  the  rise  of 
the  flood,  which  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  cross.  The  In 
spectors  were  puzzled  at  first  how  far  to  extend  the  privilege  of 
suffrage  to  the  Mexicans.  There  was  no  copy  of  the  Treaty  of 
Queretaro  to  be  had,  and  the  exact  wording  of  the  clause  referring 
to  this  subject  was  not  remembered.  It  was  at  last  decided,  how 
ever,  that  those  who  had  been  residing  in  the  country  since  the 
conquest,  and  intended  to  remain  permanently,  might  be  admitted 
to  vote  ;  and  the  question  was  therefore  put  to  each  one  in  turn. 
The  most  of  them  answered  readily  in  the  affirmative,  and  seemed 
delighted  to  be  considered  as  citizens.  "  Como  noV  said  a  fat, 
good-humored  fellow,  with  a  ruddy  olive  face,  as  he  gave  hia 


254  ELDORADO. 

sarape  a  new  twirl  over  his  shoulder  :  "  Como  no  1  soy  Amertcanc 
ahora."  (Why  not?  I  am  now  an  American.)  The  candidates, 
whose  interest  it  was  to  search  out  all  delinquents,  finally  exhaust 
ed  the  roll,  and  the  polls  were  closed.  The  returns  were  made 
out  in  due  form,  signed  and  dispatched  by  a  messenger  to  the 
Double  Spring,  to  await  the  carrier  from  the  Upper  Bar,  who  was 
to  convey  them  to  Stockton. 

During  the  few  days  I  spent  on  the  Mokelumne,  I  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  many  curious  characteristics 
and  incidents  of  mining  life.  It  would  have  been  an  interesting 
study  for  a  philosopher,  to  note  the  different  effects  which  sudden 
enrichment  produced  upon  different  persons,  especially  those  whose 
lives  had  previously  been  passed  in  the  midst  of  poverty  and  pri 
vation.  The  most  profound  scholar  in  human  nature  might  here 
have  learned  something  which  all  his  previous  wisdom  and  experi 
ence  could  never  teach.  It  was  not  precisely  the  development  of 
new  qualities  in  the  man,  but  the  exhibition  of  changes  and  con 
trasts  of  character,  unexpected  and  almost  unaccountable.  The 
world-old  moral  of  gold  was  completely  falsified.  Those  who  were 
unused  to  labor,  whose  daily  ounce  or  two  seemed  a  poor  recom 
pense  for  weary  muscles  and  nagging  spirits,  might  carefully  hoard 
their  gains ;  but  they  whose  hardy  fibre  grappled  with  the  tough 
earth  as  naturally  as  if  it  knew  no  fitter  play,  and  made  the  coarse 
gravel  and  rocky  strata  yield  up  their  precious  grains,  were  as 
profuse  as  princes  and  as  open-hearted  as  philanthropists 
Weather-beaten  tars,  wiry,  delving  Irishmen,  and  stalwart  forest 
ers  from  the  wilds  of  Missouri,  became  a  race  of  sybarites  and 
epicureans.  Secure  in  possessing  the  "  Open  Sesame"  to  the 
exhaustless  treasury  under  their  feet,  they  gave  free  rein  to  every 
whim  or  impulse  which  could  possibly  be  £ratifie  1. 


AN    ENGLISHMAN    IN    RAPTURES.  255 

It  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  a  company  of  these  men,  who 
had  never  before  had  a  thought  of  luxury  beyond  a  good  beef 
steak  and  a  glass  of  whiskey,  drinking  their  champagne  at  ten  dol 
lars  a  bottle,  and  eating  their  tongue  and  sardines,  or  warming  in 
the  smoky  camp-kettle  their  tin  canisters  of  turtle-soup  and  lobster- 
salad.  It  was  frequently  remarked  that  the  Oregonians,  though 
accustomed  all  their  lives  to  the  most  simple,  solid  and  temperate 
fare,  went  beyond  every  other  class  of  miners  in  their  fondness 
for  champagne  and  all  kinds  of  cordials  and  choice  liquors 
These  were  the  only  luxuries  they  indulged  in,  for  they  were,  to  a 
man,  cautious  and  economical  in  the  use  of  gold. 

One  of  the  most  amusing  cases  I  saw  was  that  of  a  company  of 
Englishmen,  from  New  South  Wales,  who  had  been  on  the  Moke- 
lumne  about  a  week  at  the  time  of  my  visit.  They  had  only 
landed  in  California  two  weeks  previous,  and  this  was  their  first 
experience  of  gold-digging.  One  of  them,  a  tall,  strong-limbed 
fellow,  who  had  served  seven  years  as  a  private  of  cavalry,  was 
unceasing  in  his  exclamations  of  wonder  and  delight.  Hp  repeat 
ed  his  story  from  morning  till  night,  and  in  the  fullness  of  his 
heart  communicated  it  to  every  new  face  he  saw.  "  By  me  soul, 
but  this  is  a  great  country !"  he  would  exclaim  ;  "  here  a  man 
can  dig  up  as  much  goold  in  a  day  as  he  ever  saw  in  all  his  life 
Hav'n't  I  got  already  more  than  I  know  what  to  do  with,  an'  I've 
only  been  here  a  week.  An'  to  think  'at  I  come  here  with  never 
a  single  bloody  farthing  in  my  pocket !  An'  the  Frenchman, 
down  the  hill  there,  him  'at  sells  wittles,  he  wouldn't  trust  me  for 
a  piece  of  bread,  the  devil  take  him  !  i  If  ye  've  no  money,  go  an' 
dig  some  ;'  says  he  ;  '  people  dig  here  o'  Sundays  all  the  same.' 
( 111  dig  o'  Sundays  for  no  man,  ye  bloody  villain  ;'  says  I,  i  I'll 

starve  first.'    An'  I  did'nt,  an'  I  had  a  hungry  belly,  too.    But  o' 
1* 


256  ELDORADO. 

Monday  I  dug  nineteen  dollars,  an'  o'  Tuesday  twenty-three,  an'  o; 
Friday  two  hundred  an'  eighty-two  dollars  in  one  lump  as  big  as 
yer  fist ;  an'  all  for  not  worldn'  o'  Sundays.  Was  there  ever 
sich  a  country  in  the  world  S"  And,  as  if  to  convince  himself 
that  he  actually  possessed  all  this  gold,  he  bought  champagne,  ale 
and  brandy  by  the  dozen  bottles,  and  insisted  on  supplying  every 
body  in  the  settlement. 

There  was  one  character  on  the  river,  whom  I  had  met  on  my 
first  visit  in  August  and  still  found  there  on  my  return.  He  pos 
sessed  sufficient  individuality  of  appearance  and  habits  to  have 
made  him  a  hero  of  fiction  ;  Cooper  would  have  delighted  to  have 
stumbled  upon  him.  His  real  name  I  never  learned,  but  he  was 
known  to  all  the  miners  by  the  cognomen  of  "  Buckshot" — an 
appellation  which  seemed  to  suit  his  hard,  squab  figure  very  well 
He  might  have  been  forty  years  of  age  or  perhaps  fifty  ;  his  face 
was  but  slightly  wrinkled,  and  he  wore  a  heavy  black  beard  which 
grew  nearly  to  his  eyes  and  entirely  concealed  his  mouth.  When 
he  removed  his  worn  and  dusty  felt  hat,  which  was  but  seldom,  hi? 
large,  square  forehead,  bald  crown  and  serious  gray  eyes  gave  him 
an  appearance  of  reflective  intellect ; — a  promise  hardly  verified 
by  his  conversation.  He  was  of  a  stout  and  sturdy  frame,  and 
always  wore  clothes  of  a  coarse  texture,  with  a  flannel  shirt  and 
belt  containing  a  knife.  I  guessed  from  a  slight  peculiarity  of  his 
accent  that  he  was  a  G-erman  by  birth,  though  I  believe  he  was  not 
considered  so  by  the  miners. 

The  habits  of  "  Buckshot"  were  still  more  eccentric  than  his 
appearance.  He  lived  entirely  alone,  in  a  small  tent,  and  seemed 
rather  to  shun  than  court  the  society  of  others.  His  tastes  were 
exceedingly  luxurious  ;  he  always  had  the  best  of  everything  in 
the  market,  regardless  of  its  cost.  The  finest  hams,  at  a  dollai 


"  BUCKSHOT."  257 

and  a  half  the  pound  ;  preserved  oysters,  corn  and  peas,  at  six 
dollars  a  canister  ;  onions  and  potatoes,  whenever  such  articles 
made  their  appearance  ;  Chinese  sweetmeats  and  dried  fruits,  were 
all  on  his  table,  and  his  dinner  was  regularly  moistened  by  a  bottle 
of  champagne.  He  did  his  own  cooking,  an  operation  which  cost 
little  trouble,  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  fresh  provisions.  When 
particularly  lucky  in  digging,  he  would  take  his  ease  for  a  day  or 
two,  until  the  dust  was  exhausted,  when  he  would  again  shoulder 
his  pick  and  crowbar  and  commence  burrowing  in  some  lonely 
corner  of  the  rich  gulch.  He  had  been  in  the  country  since  the 
first  discovery  of  the  placers,  and  was  reported  to  have  dug,  in  all, 
between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  dollars, — all  of  which  he  had 
spent  for  his  subsistence.  I  heard  him  once  say  that  he  never 
dug  less  than  an  ounce  in  one  day,  and  sometimes  as  much  as  two 
pounds.  The  rough  life  of  the  mountains  seemed  entirely  conge 
nial  to  his  tastes,  and  he  could  not  have  been  induced  to  change 
it  for  any  other,  though  less  laborious  and  equally  epicurean. 

Among  the  number  of  miners  scattered  through  the  differ 
ent  gulches,  I  met  daily  with  men  of  education  and  intel 
ligence,  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States.  It  was  never 
safe  to  presume  on  a  person's  character,  from  his  dress  or 
appearance.  A  rough,  dirty,  sunburnt  fellow,  with  unshorn 
beard,  quarrying  aA7ay  for  life  at  the  bottom  of  some  rocky 
hole,  might  be  a  graduate  of  one  of  the  first  colleges  in  the 
country,  and  a  man  of  genuine  refinement  and  taste.  I  found 
plenty  of  men  who  were  not  outwardly  distinguishable  from  the 
inveterate  trapper  or  mountaineer,  but  who,  a  year  before,  had 
been  patientless  physicians,  briefless  lawyers  and  half-starved 
editors.  It  was  this  infusion  of  intelligence  which  gave  the  gold 
hunting  communities,  notwithstanding  their  barbaric  exterior  and 


258  ELDORADO. 

mode  of  life,  an  order  and  individual  security  which  at  first  sight 
seemed  little  less  than  marvellous. 

Since  my  first  visit,  the  use  of  quicksilver  had  been  introduced 
on  the  river,  and  the  success  which  attended  its  application  to 
gold-washing  will  bring  it  henceforth  into  general  use.  An  im 
proved  rocker,  having  three  or  four  lateral  gutters  in  its  bottom, 
which  were  filled  with  quicksilver,  took  up  the  gold  so  perfectly, 
that  not  the  slightest  trace  of  it  could  be  discovered  in  the  refuse 
earth.  The  black  sand,  which  was  formerly  rejected,  was  washed 
in  a  bowl  containing  a  little  quicksilver  in  the  bottom,  and  the 
amalgam  formed  by  the  gold  yielded  four  dollars  to  every  pound 
of  sand.  Mr.  James,  who  had  washed  out  a  great  deal  of  this 
sand,  evaporated  the  quicksilver  in  a  retort,  and  produced  a  cake 
of  fine  gold  worth  nearly  five  hundred  dollars.  The  machines  sold 
at  one  thousand  dollars  apiece,  the  owners  having  wisely  taken  the 
precaution  to  have  them  patented. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  by  means  of  quicksilver,  much  of  the 
soil  which  has  heretofore  been  passed  by  as  worthless,  will  give  a 
rich  return.  The  day  before  my  departure,  Dr.  Gillette  washed 
out  several  panfuls  of  earth  from  the  very  top  of  the  hills,  and 
found  it  to  contain  abundance  of  fine  grains  of  gold.  A  heap  of 
refuse  earth,  left  by  the  common  rocker  after  ten  thousand  dollars 
had  been  washed,  yielded  still  another  thousand  to  the  new  ma 
chine.  Quicksilver  was  enormously  high,  four  dollars  a  pound 
having  been  paid  in  Stockton.  When  the  mines  of  Santa  Clara 
shall  be  in  operation,  the  price  will  be  so  much  reduced  that  its 
use  will  become  universal  and  the  annual  golden  harvest  be  thereby 
greatly  increased.  It  will  be  many  years  before  all  the  placers  or 
gold  deposits  are  touched,  no  matter  how  large  the  emigration  to 
California  may  be  The  region  in  which  all  the  mining  operations 


MY    OWN    GOI  D-DfGGING.  259 

are  now  carried  on,  extending  from  the  base  of  the  propeT  Sierra 
Nevada  to  the  plains  of  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin,  is  upwards 
of  five  hundred  miles  in  length  by  fifty  in  breadth.  Towards  the 
head  of  the  Sacramento  Kiver  gold  is  also  found  in  the  granite 
formation,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  it  exists  in  the 
valleys  and  cafions  of  the  great  snowy  ridge. 

I  was  strongly  tempted  to  take  hold  of  the  pick  and  pan,  and 
try  my  luck  in  the  gulches  for  a  week  or  two.  I  had  fully  intended, 
on  reaching  California,  to  have  personally  tested  the  pleasure  of 
gold-digging,  as  much  for  the  sake  of  a  thorough  experience  of  life 
among  the  placers  as  from  a  sly  hope  of  striking  on  a  pocket  full 
of  big  lumps.  The  unexpected  coming-on  of  the  rainy  season, 
made  my  time  of  too  much  account,  besides  adding  greatly  to  the 
hardships  of  the  business.  Two  or  three  days'  practice  is  requisite 
to  handle  the  implements  properly,  and  I  had  no  notion  of  learning 
the  manipulations  without  fingering  the  gold.  Once,  indeed,  I 
took  a  butcher-knife,  went  into  one  of  the  forsaken  holes  in  the 
big  gulch,  lay  on  my  back  as  I  had  seen  the  other  miners  do,  and 
endeavored  to  pick  out  some  yellow  grains  from  the  crevices  of  the 
crumbling  rock.  My  search  was  vain,  however,  and  I  was  indebted 
to  the  kindness  of  some  friends  for  the  only  specimens  I  brought 
away  from  the  Diggings. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE     RAINY    SEASON. 

I  LEFT  the  Mokelumne  River  the  afternoon  following  Election 
Day,  and  retraced  my  path  to  Jackson's  Creek,  which  I  reached 
at  dark.  Being  unhorsed,  I  resumed  my  old  plodding  gait, 
u  packing"  my  blankets  and  spurs.  I  was  obliged  to  walk  to  the 
Upper  Bar,  in  order  to  cross  the  Mokelumne,  whose  current  was 
now  very  deep  and  rapid.  A  man  named  Bills,  who  kept  a  brush 
hotel  with  a  canvas  roof,  had  set  up  an  impromptu  ferry,  made  by 
nailing  a  few  planks  upon  four  empty  barrels,  lashed  together 
This  clumsy  float  was  put  over  by  means  of  a  rope  stretched  from 
bank  to  bank.  The  tendency  of  the  barrels  to  roll  in  the  swift 
current,  made  it  very  insecure  for  more  than  two  persons.  The 
same  morning,  four  men  who  were  crossing  at  once,  overbore  its 
delicate  equilibrium  and  were  tipped  into  the  water,  whence  they 
were  rescued  with  some  difficulty.  A  load  of  freight  met  with  tha 
same  luck  just  before  I  reached  the  ferry.  The  banks  were  hc.ap.K.1 
with  barrels,  trunks,  crates  of  onions  and  boxes  of  liquor,  waiting 
to  be  taken  over,  and  some  of  the  Mexican  arrieros  were  en  1  >;;, 
voring  to  push  their  pack-mules  into  tho  watar  and  force  th  MD  to 
swim.  I  took  my  place  on  the  unsteady  platform  with  soni3  doubts 
of  a  dry  skin,  but  as  we  were  all  careful  to  keep  a  plumb  line,  the 
passage  was  made  in  safety. 


NIGHT  AT  JACKSON'S  CREEK.  261 

I  toiled  up  the  windings  of  a  deep  gulch,  whose  loneliness,  after 
I  had  passed  the  winter  huts  of  the  gold-diggers,  was  made  very 
impressive  by  the  gathering  twilight.  The  gray  rocks  which  walled 
it  in  towards  the  summit  looked  dim  and  spectral  under  the  eaves 
of  the  pines,  and  a  stream  of  turbid  water  splashed  with  a  melan 
choly  sound  into  the  chasm  below.  The  transparent  glimmer  of 
the  lighted 'tents  on  Jackson's  Creek  had  a  cheery  look  as  seen  at 
the  bottom  of  the  gulch  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain.  I 
stopped  at  Cosgrove's  tent,  where  several  travelers  who  had  ar 
rived  before  me  were  awaiting  supper.  We  sat  about  the  fire  and 
talked  of  gold-digging,  the  election  and  the  prospect  of  supplies 
for  the  winter.  When  Mrs.  Cosgrove  had  finished  frying  her  beef 
and  boiling  her  coffee,  we  rolled  to  the  table  all  the  casks,  boxes 
and  logs  we  could  find,  and  sat  down  to  our  meal  under  the 
open  stars.  A  Chinook  Indian  from  Oregon  acted  as  waiter — an 
attendance  which  we  would  rather  have  dispensed  with.  I  was 
offered  a  raw-hide  in  one  corner  of  a  small  storage-tent,  and  spread 
my  blanket  upon  it ;  the  dampness  of  the  earth,  however,  striking 
through  both  hide  and  blankets,  gave  me  several  chills  and  rheu 
matic  pains  of  the  joints,  before  morning.  The  little  community 
established  on  the  knoll  numbered  about  sixty  persons.  They 
were  all  settled  there  for  the  winter,  though  the  gold  dug  did 
not  average  more  than  half  an  ounce  to  each  man,  daily. 

Next  morning,  I  crossed  the  hills  to  Sutter's  Creek,  where  I 
found  the  settlement  increased  by  several  new  arrivals.  From 
this  place  my  path  branched  off  to  the  north,  crossing  several 
mountain  ridges  to  Amador's  Creek,  which,  like  the  streams  I  had 
already  passed,  was  lined  with  tents  and  winter  cabins.  I  ques 
tioned  several  miners  about  their  profits,  but  could  get  no  satisfac 
tory  answer.  Singularly  enough,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  learn 


262  ELDORADO. 

from  the  miners  themselves,  unless  one  happens  to  be  a  near  ac 
quaintance,  the  amount  of  their  gains.  If  unlucky,  they  dislike 
to  confess  it ;  if  the  contrary,  they  have  good  reason  for  keeping  it 
secret.  When  most  complaining,  they  may  be  most  successful. 
I  heard  of  one,  who,  after  digging  fruitlessly  for  a  week,  came 
suddenly  on  a  pocket,  containing  about  three  hundred  dollars. 
Seeing  a  friend  approaching,  he  hastily  filled  it  up  with  Stones,  and 
began  grubbing  in  the  top  soil.  "  Well,  what  luck  ?"  inquired 
his  friend.  "  Not  a  damned  cent,"  was  the  answer,  given  with  a 
mock  despondency,  while  the  pale  face  and  stammering  voice  be 
trayed  the  cheat  at  once.  Nobody  believes  you  are  not  a  gold- 
hunter.  He  must  be  a  fool,  they  think,  who  would  go  to  the 
mountains  for  any  other  purpose.  The  questions  invariably  asked 
me  were  :  "  Where  have  you  been  digging  ?"  and  "  Where  do 
you  winter  ?"  If  I  spoke  of  going  home  soon,  the  expression 
was  :  "  Well,  I  s'pose  you've  got  your  pile  ;"  or,  "  You've  been 
lucky  in  your  prospecting,  to  get  off  so  soon." 

Leaving  Amador's  Creek,  a  walk  of  seven  miles  took  me  to 
Dry  Creek,  where  I  found  a  population  of  from  two  to  three  hun 
dred,  established  for  the  winter.  The  village  was  laid  out  with 
some  regularity,  and  had  taverns,  stores,  butchers'  shops  and 
monte  tables.  The  digging  was  going  on  briskly,  and  averaged 
a  good  return.  The  best  I  could  hear  of,  was  $114  in  two 
days,  contrasted  with  which  were  the  stones  of  several  who  had 
got  nothing  but  the  fever  and  ague  for  their  pains.  The  amount 
of  sickness  on  these  small  rivers  during  the  season  had  been  very 
great,  and  but  a  small  part  of  it,  in  my  opinion,  was  to  be  ascribed 
to  excesses  of  any  kind.  All  new  countries,  it  is  well  known, 
breed  fever  and  ague,  and  this  was  especially  the  case  in  the  gold 
region,  where,  before  the  rains  came  on,  the  miner  was  exposed 


THE    WINTER    SETTLEMENTS.  2G3 

to  intense  heat  during  the  day  and  was  frequently  cold  under 
double  blankets  at  night.  The  water  of  many  of  the  rivers  occa- 
sions  diarrhoea  to  those  who  drink  it,  and  scarcely  one  out  of  a 
hundred  emigrants  escapes  an  attack  of  this  complaint. 

At  all  these  winter  settlements,  however  small,  an  alcalde  is 
chosen  and  regulations  established,  as  near  as  possible  in  accord 
ance  with  the  existing  laws  of  the  country.  Although  the  autho 
rity  exercised  by  the  alcalde  is  sometimes  nearly  absolute,  the 
miners  invariably  respect  and  uphold  it.  Thus,  at  whatever  cost, 
order  and  security  are  preserved  ;  and  when  the  State  organization 
shall  have  been  completed,  the  mining  communities,  for  an  extent 
of  five  hundred  miles,  will,  by  a  quiet  and  easy  process,  pass  into 
regularly  constituted  towns,  and  enjoy  as  good  government  and 
protection  as  any  other  part  of  the  State.  Nothing  in  California 
seemed  more  miraculous  to  me  than  this  spontaneous  evolution  of 
social  order  from  the  worst  elements  of  anarchy.  It  was  a  lesson 
worth  even  more  than  the  gold. 

The  settlement  on  Dry  Creek  is  just  on  the. skirts  of  the  rough 
mountain  region — the  country  of  canons,  gulches,  canadas  and 
divides  ;  terms  as  familar  in  the  diggings  as  "  per  cent"  in  "Wall- 
street.  I  had  intended  to  strike  directly  across  the  mountains  to 
the  American  Fork.  The  people  represented  this  route  to  be  im 
practicable,  and  the  jagged  ridges,  ramparted  with  rock,  which 
towered  up  in  that  direction,  seemed  to  verify  the  story,  so  I  took 
the  trail  for  Daly's  Ranche,  twenty-two  miles  distant.  After 
passing  the  "Willow  Springs,  a  log  hut  on  the  edge  of  a  swamp, 
the  road  descended  to  the  lower  hills,  where  it  was  crossed  by  fre 
quent  streams.  I  passed  on  the  way  a  group  of  Indians  who  were 
skinning  a  horse  they  had  killed  and  were  about  to  roast.  They 
were  well  armed  and  had  probably  shot  the  horse  while  it  was 


264  ELDORADO. 

grazing.  I  greeted  them  with  a  "  buenas  dias,"  which  they  sul 
lenly  returned,  adding  an  "  ugh  !  ugh  !"  which  might  have  ex 
pressed  either  contempt,  admiration,  friendship  or  fear. 

In  traveling  through  these  low  hills,  I  passed  several  companies 
of  miners  who  were  engaged  in  erecting  log  huts  for  the  winter. 
The  gravelly  bottoms  in  many  places  showed  traces  of  their  pros 
pecting,  and  the  rocker  was  in  operation  where  there  was  sufficient 
water.  When  I  inquired  the  yield  of  gold  I  could  get  no  satis 
factory  answer,  but  the  faces  of  the  men  betrayed  no  sign  of  disap 
pointment.  While  resting  under  a  leafless  oak,  I  was  joined  by  a 
boy  of  nineteen  who  had  been  digging  on  the  Dry  Creek  and  was 
now  returning  to  San  Francisco,  ague-stricken  and  penniless.  We 
walked  on  in  company  for  several  hours,  under  a  dull  gray  sky, 
which  momentarily  threatened  rain.  The  hot  flush  of  fever  was 
on  his  face,  and  he  seemed  utterly  desponding  and  disinclined  to 
talk.  Towards  night,  when  the  sky  had  grown  darker,  he  de 
clared  himself  unable  to  go  further,  but  I  encouraged  him  to  keep 
on  until  we  reached  a  cabin,  where  the  miners  kindly  received  him 
for  the  night. 

I  met  on  the  road  many  emigrant  wagons,  bound  for  the  dig 
gings.  They  traveled  in  companies  of  two  and  three,  joining 
teams  whenever  their  wagons  stuck  fast  in  the  mire.  Some  were 
obliged  to  unload  at  the  toughest  places,  and  leave  part  of  their 
stores  on  the  Plain  until  they  could  return  from  their  Winter  quar 
ters.  Their  noon  camps  would  be  veritable  treasures  for  my 
friend  Parley,  the  artist,  if  he  could  have  seen  them.  The  men 
were  all  gaunt,  long-limbed  Rip  Van  Winkles,  with  brown  faces, 
matted  hair  and  beards,  and  garments  which  seemed  to  have 
grown  up  with  them,  for  you  could  not  believe  they  had  ever  been 
taken  off.  The  women,  who  were  somewhat  more  tidy,  had  suf 


THE    RAINS    AND    THE    PLAINS.  265 

fered  less  from  the  journey,  but  there  were  still  many  fine  subjects 
for  the  pencil  among  them.  In  the  course  of  the  day  I  passed 
about  thirty  teams. 

At  night,  after  a  toilsome  journey,  I  reached  the  Cosumne 
River,  two  miles  below  the  diggings.  I  was  wet  from  the  swamps 
I  crossed  and  the  pools  I  had  waded,  weary  in  body,  and 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  impossibility  of  traveling  on  the 
Plains  during  the  rainy  season.  One  would  think,  from  the 
parched  and  seamed  appearance  of  the  soil  in  summer,  that  noth 
ing  short  of  an  absolute  deluge  could  restore  the  usual  moisture. 
A  single  rain,  however,  fills  up  the  cracks,  and  a  week  of  wet 
weather  turns  the  dusty  plain  into  a  deep  mire,  the  hollows  into 
pools,  and  the  stony  arroyos  into  roaring  streams.  The  roads 
then  become  impassable  for  wagons,  killing  to  mules,  and  terribly 
laborious  for  pedestrians.  In  the  loose,  gravelly  soil  on  the  hill 
tops,  a  horse  at  once  sinks  above  his  knees,  and  the  only  chance 
of  travel  is  by  taking  the  clayey  bottoms.  Where,  a  month  be 
fore  there  had  been  a  Jornada  of  twenty  miles,  arid  as  the  desert, 
my  path  was  now  crossed  by  fifty  streams. 

Where  the  trail  struck  the  river  I  came  upon  a  small  tent, 
pitched  by  the  roadside,  and  was  hailed  by  the  occupants.  They 
were  two  young  men  from  Boston,  who  came  out  in  the  sum 
mer,  went  to  the  North-Fork  of  the  American,  prospered  in  their 
digging,  and  were  going  southward  to  spend  the  winter.  They 
were  good  specimens  of  the  sober,  hardy,  persevering  gold-digger 
— a  class  who  never  fail  to  make  their  "  piles."  I  willingly  ac 
cepted  their  invitation  to  spend  the  night,  whereupon  they  threw 
another  log  on  the  camp-fire,  mixed  some  batter  for  slap-jacks,  and 
put  a  piece  of  salt  pork  in  the  pan.  We  did  not  remain  long 
about  the  fire,  after  my  supper  was  finished.  Uniting  our  store  of 
12 


266  ELDORADO. 

blankets,  we  made  a  bed  in  common  for  all  three,  entirely  filling 
the  space  covered  by  the  little  tent.  Two  or  three  showers  fell 
during  the  night,  and  the  dash  of  rain  on  the  canvas,  so  near  my 
head,  made  doubly  grateful  the  warmth  and  snugness  of  our 
covert. 

The  morning  brought  another  rain,  and  the  roads  grew  deeper 
and  tougher.  At  Coates's  Ranche,  two  miles  further,  I  was 
ferried  across  the  Cosumne  in  a  canoe.  The  river  was  falling,  and 
teams  could  barely  pass.  The  day  previous  a  wagon  and  team 
had  been  washed  several  hundred  yards  down  the  stream,  and  the 
owners  were  still  endeavoring  to  recover  the  running  works  which 
lay  in  a  deep  hole.  Several  emigrant  companies  were  camped  on 
the  grassy  bottoms  along  the  river,  waiting  a  chance  to  cross.  At 
the  ranche  I  found  breakfast  just  on  the  table,  and  to  be  had  at 
the  usual  price  of  a  dollar  and  a  half ;  the  fare  consisted  of  beef 
broiled  in  the  fire,  coarse  bread,  frijoles  and  coffee.  The  landlady 
was  a  G-erman  emigrant,  but  had  been  so  long  among  the  Ameri 
can  settlers  and  native  rancheros,  that  her  talk  was  a  three-stranded 
twist  of  the  different  languages.  She  seemed  quite  unconscious 
that  she  was  not  talking  in  a  single  tongue,  for  all  three  came 
to  serve  her  thought  with  equal  readiness. 

I  stood  in  the  door  some  time,  deliberating  what  to  do.  The 
sky  had  closed  in  upon  the  plain  with  a  cheerless  drizzle,  which 
made  walking  very  uncomfortable,  and  I  could  find  no  promise  of 
a  favorable  change  of  weather.  My  intention  had  been  to  visit 
Mormon  Island  and  afterwards  Culloma  Mill,  on  the  American 
Fork.  The  former  place  was  about  thirty  miles  distant,  but  the 
trail  was  faint  and  difficult  to  find  ;  while,  should  the  rain  increase, 
1  could  not  hope  to  make  the  journey  in  one  day.  The  walk  to 
Sacramento  presented  an  equally  dispiriting  aspect,  but  after  some 


A    RANCHE    AND    ITS    INHABITANTS.  267 

questioning  and  deliberation ,  I  thought  it  possible  that  General 
Morse  might  have  left  my  gray  mare  at  some  of  the  ranches 
further  down  the  river,  and  resolved  to  settle  the  question  before 
going  further.  Within  the  space  of  two  or  three  miles  I  visited 
three,  and  came  at  last  to  a  saw-mill,  beyond  which  there  was  no 
habitation  for  ten  miles.  The  family  in  an  adjoining  house  seemed 
little  disposed  to  make  my  acquaintance  ;  I  therefore  took  shelter 
from  the  rain,  which  was  now  pouring  fast,  in  a  mud  cabin,  on  the 
floor  of  which  lay  two  or  three  indolent  vaqueros  They  were 
acquainted  with  every  animal  on  all  the  ranches,  and  unhesitating 
ly  declared  that  my  mare  was  not  among  them. 

When  the  rain  slacked,  I  walked  back  to  one  of  the  other 
ranches,  where  I  found  several  miners  who  had  taken  shelter  in  a 
new  adobe  house,  which  was  partially  thatched.  We  gathered 
together  in  a  room,  the  floor  of  which  was  covered  with  wet  tule 
and  endeavored  to  keep  ourselves  warm.  The  place  was  so  chill 
that  I  went  into  the  house  inhabited  by  the  farnilv,  and  asked  per 
mission  to  dry  myself  at  the  fire.  The  occupants  were  two  wo 
men,  apparently  sisters,  of  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  thirty  ;  the 
younger  would  have  been  handsome,  but  for  an  expression  of  ha 
bitual  discontent  and  general  contempt  of  everything.  They  made 
no  answer  to  my  request,  so  I  took  a  chair  and  sat  down  near  the 
blaze.  Two  female  tongues,  however,  cannot  long  keep  silent, 
and  presently  the  elder  launched  into  a  violent  anathema  against 
all  emigrants,  as  she  called  them.  I  soon  learned  that  she  had 
been  in  the  country  three  years  ;  that  she  had  at  first  been  living 
on  Bear  Creek ;  that  the  overland  emigrants,  the  previous  year, 
having  come  into  the  country  almost  destitute,  appropriated  some 
of  the  supplies  which  had  been  left  at  home  while  the  family  was 
absent  gold-hunting  ;  and,  finally,  that  the  fear  of  being  in  futuro 


268  ELDORADO. 

plundered  of  their  cattle  and  wheat  had  driven  them  to  the  banks 
of  the  Cosumne,  where  they  had  hoped  for  some  security.  They 
were  deceived,  however  ;  the  emigrants  troubled  them  worse  than 
ever,  and  though  they  charged  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  meal  and 
sometimes  cleared  fifty  dollars  a  day,  still  their  hatred  was  no 
abated. 

Most  especially  did  the  elder  express  her  resentment  against 
the  said  emigrants,  on  account  of  their  treatment  of  the  Indians. 
I  felt  disposed  at  first  to  agree  with  her  wholly  in  their  condem 
nation,  but  it  appeared  that  she  was  influenced  by  other  motives 
than  those  of  humanity.  "  Afore  these  here  emigrants  come,'" 
said  she  ;  "  the  Injuns  were  as  well-behaved  and  bidable  as  could 
be  ;  I  liked  'em  more  'n  the  whites.  When  we  begun  to  find  gold 
on  the  Yuber,  we  could  git  'em  to  work  for  ns  day  in  and  day  out, 
fur  next  to  nothin'.  We  told  'em  the  gold  was  stuff  to  whitewash 
houses  with,  and  give  'em  a  hankecher  for  a  tin-cup  full ;  but  after 
the  emigrants  begun  to  come  along  and  put  all  sorts  of  notions 
into  their  heads,  there  was  no  gettm  them  to  do  nothin'." 

I  took  advantage  of  a  break  in  this  streak  of  "  chain  lightning," 
to  inquire  whether  Dr.  Gwin  and  Glen.  Morse  had  recently  passed 
that  way  ;  but  they  did  not  know  them  by  name.  "  Well,"  said 
I,  "  the  gentlemen  who  are  trying  to  get  elected."  "  Yes,"  re 
joined  the  elder,  "  them  people  was  here.  They  stuck  their  heads 
in  the  door  one  night  and  asked  if  they  might  have  supper  and 
lodgin'.  I  told  'em  no,  I  guessed  they  couldn't.  Jist  then  Mr. 
Kewen  come  along ;  he  know'd  'em  and  made  'em  acquainted 
Gosh  '  but  I  was  mad.  I  had  to  git  supper  for  'em  then  ;  but  if 
't'd  'a  bin  me,  I'd  'a  had  more  spunk  than  to  eat,  after  I'd  bin 
told  I  could'n't."  It  had  been  difficult  for  me  to  keep  a  serious 
countenance  before,  but  now  I  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh,  which 


A    FEMININE    COMPLIMENT.  269 

they  took  as  a  compliment  to  their  "  spunk."  One  of  the  house 
hold,  a  man  of  some  education,  questioned  me  as  to  the  object  of 
my  emigration  to  California,  which  I  explained  without  reserve. 
This,  however,  brought  on  another  violent  expression  of  opinion 
from  the  same  female.  "  That's  jist  the  way,"  said  she  ;  "  some 
people  come  here,  think  they've  done  great  things,  and  go  home 
and  publish  all  sorts  of  lies ;  but  they  don't  know  no  niore'n  noth- 
in'  in  God  A'mighty's  world,  as  much  as  them  people  that's  bin 
here  three  years."  After  this  declaration  I  thought  it  best  to 
retreat  to  the  half-finished  adobe  house,  and  remain  with  my  com 
panions  in  misery.  Towards  evening  we  borrowed  an  axe,  with 
which  we  procured  fuel  enough  for  the  night,  and  built  a  good 
fire.  A  Mexican,  driven  in  by  the  rain,  took  out  his  cards  and  set 
up  a  monte  bank  of  ten  dollars,  at  which  the  others  played  with 
shillings  and  quarters.  I  tried  to  read  an  odd  volume  of  the 
"  Scottish  Chiefs,"  which  I  found  in  the  house,  but  the  old  charm 
was  gone,  and  I  wondered  at  the  childish  taste  which  was  so  fasci 
nated  with  its  pages. 

We  slept  together  on  the  earthen  floor.  All  night  the  rain  pat 
tered  on  the  tule  thatch,  but  at  sunrise  it  ceased.  The  sky  was 
still  lowering,  and  the  roads  were  growing  worse  so  rapidly,  that 
instead  of  starting  across  the  plains  for  Mormon  Island,  the  near 
est  point  on  the  American  Fork  where  the  miners  were  at  work, 
I  turned  about  for  Sacramento  City,  thinking  it  best  to  return 
while  there  was  a  chance.  A  little  experience  of  travel  over  the 
saturated  soil  soon  convinced  me  that  my  tour  in  the  mountains 
was  over.  I  could  easily  relinquish  my  anticipations  of  a  visit  to 
the  mining  regions  of  the  American  Fork,  Bear  and  Yuba  Rivers, 
for  life  at  the  different  diggings  is  very  much  the  same,  and  the 
character  of  the  gold  deposits  does  not  materially  vary  ;  but  there 


270  ELDORADO. 

had  ever  been  a  shining  point  in  the  background  of  all  my  for 
mer  dreams  of  California — a  shadowy  object  to  be  attained,  of 
which  I  had  never  lost  sight  during  my  wanderings  and  from 
which  I  could  not  turn  away  without  a  pang  of  regret  and  disap 
pointment.  This  was,  a  journey  to  the  head  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley,  a  sight  of  the  stupendous  Shaste  Peak,  which  stands  like 
an  obelisk  of  granite  capped  with  gleaming  marble,  on  the  bor 
ders  of  Oregon,  and  perhaps  an  exploration  of  the  terrific  canons 
through  which  the  river  plunges  in  a  twenty-mile  cataract,  from 
the  upper  shelf  of  the  mountains.  The  fragments  of  description 
which  I  had  gathered  from  Oregonians,  emigrants  and  "  prospee- 
ters"  who  had  visited  that  region,  only  made  my  anticipations 
more  glowing  and  my  purpose  more  fixed.  I  knew  there  was 
grandeur  there,  though  there  might  not  be  gold.  Three  weeks  of 
rough  travel,  had  the  dry  season  extended  to  its  usual  length, 
would  have  enabled  me  to  make  the  journey  ;  but,  like  most  of 
the  splendid  plans  we  build  for  ourselves,  I  was  obliged  to  give  it 
up  on  the  eve  of  fulfilment.  A  few  days  of  rain  completely  washed 
it  out  of  my  imagination,  and  it  was  long  before  I  could  fill  the 
blank. 

I  was  accompanied  by  one  of  the  "  Iowa  Rangers,"  from  Du- 
buque,  Iowa.  He  had  been  at  work  at  the  Dry  Diggings  on  Weav 
er's  Creek.  He  was  just  recovering  from  the  scurvy,  and  could 
not  travel  fast,  but  was  an  excellent  hand  at  wading.  Before 
reaching  the  timber  of  the  American  Fork,  we  crossed  thirty  or 
forty  streams,  many  of  which  were  knee-deep.  Where  they  were 
BO  wide  as  to  render  a  leap  impossible,  my  plan  was  to  dash  through 
at  full  speed,  and  I  generally  got  over  with  but  a  partial  satura 
tion  :  the  broad,  shallow  pools  obliged  us  to  stop  and  pull  off  our 
boots.  It  was  one  form  of  the  water-cure  I  did  not  relish. '  "If 


SACRAMENTO    AGAIN.  271 

this  be  traveling  in  the  rainy  season,"  thought  I,  "  I'll  have  none 
of  it," 

On  the  banks  of  the  American  Fork  we  found  a  sandy  soil  and 
made  better  progress.  Following  that  beautiful  stream  through 
the  afternoon,  we  came  at  dusk  to  Sutter's  Fort,  which  was  sur 
rounded  by  a  moat  of  deep  mud.  I  picked  my  way  in  the  dark 
to  Sacramento  City,  but  was  several  times  lost  in  its  tented  laby 
rinths  before  I  reached  Oapt.  Baker's  store — under  whose  hospi 
table  roof  I  laid  down  my  pack  and  took  up  my  abode  for  several 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

NIGHT    IN    SACRAMENTO    CITi. 

SACRAMENTO  CITY  was  one  place  by  day  and  another  by  night; 
and  of  the  two,  its  night-side  was  the  most  peculiar.  As  the  day 
went  down  dull  and  cloudy,  a  thin  fog  gathered  in  the  humid  at 
mosphere,  through  which  the  canvas  houses,  lighted  from  within, 
shone  with  a  broad,  obscure  gleam,  that  confused  the  eye  and 
made  the  streets  most  familiar  by  daylight  look  strangely  different. 
They  bore  no  resemblance  to  the  same  places,  seen  at  mid-day, 
under  a  break  of  clear  sunshine,  and  pervaded  with  the  stir  of 
business  life.  The  town,  regular  as  it  was,  became  a  bewildering 
labyrinth  of  half-light  and  deep  darkness,  and  the  perils  of  travers 
ing  it  were  greatly  increased  by  the  mire  and  frequent  pools  left 
by  the  rain. 

To  one,  venturing  out  after  dank  for  the  first  time,  these  perils 
were  by  no  means  imaginary.  Each  man  wore  boots  reaching  to 
the  knees — or  higher,  if  he  could  get  them — with  the  pantaloons 
tucked  inside,  but  there  were  pit-falls,  into  which  had  he  fallen, 
ever  tie?*-  would  have  availed  little.  In  the  more  frequented 
streets,  where,  drinking  and  gambling  had  full  swing,  there  was  a 
partial  light,  streaming  out  through  doors  and  crimson  window- 
ourtains,  to  guide  his  steps.  Sometimes  a  platform  of  plank  re- 


PERILS   OF    A    NIGHT    RAMBLE.  .          273 

ceived  his  feet ;  sometimes  he  skipped  from  one  loose  barrel-stave 
to  another,  laid  with  the  convex-side  upward ;  and  sometimes, 
deceived  by  a  scanty  piece  of  scantling,  he  walked  off  its  further 
end  into  a  puddle  of  liquid  mud.  Now,  floundering  in  the  stiff 
mire  of  the  mid-street,  he  plunged  down  into  a  gulley  and  was 
"  brought  up"  by  a  pool  of  water  ;  now,  venturing  near  the  houses 
a  scaffold-pole  or  stray  beam  dealt  him  an  unexpected  blow.  If 
he  wandered  into  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  where  the  tent-city  of 
the  emigrants  was  built,  his  case  was  still  worse.  The  briery 
thickets  of  the  original  forest  had  not  been  cleared  away,  and  the 
stumps,  trunks  and  branches  of  felled  trees  were  distributed  over 
the  soil  with  delightful  uncertainty.  If  he  escaped  these,  the  la 
riats  of  picketed  mules  spread  their  toils  for  his  feet,  threatening 
entanglement  and  a  kick  from  one  of  the  vicious  animals  ;  tent- 
ropes  and  pins  took  him  across  the  shins,  and  the  horned  heads  of 
cattle,  left  where  they  were  slaughtered,  lay  ready  to  gore  him  at 
every  step.  A  walk  of  any  distance,  environed  by  such  dangers, 
especially  when  the  air  was  damp  and  chill,  and  there  was  a  pos 
sibility  of  rain  at  any  moment,  presented  no  attractions  to  the 
weary  denizens  of  the  place. 

A  great  part  of  them,  indeed,  took  to  their  blankets  soon  after 
dark.  They  were  generally  worn  out  with  the  many  excitements 
of  the  day,  and  glad  to  find  a  position  of  repose.  Reading  wad 
out  of  the  question  to  the  most  of  them  when  candles  were  $4  pei 
Ib.  and  scarce  at  that ;  but  in  any  case,  the  preternatural  activity 
and  employment  of  mind  induced  by  the  business  habits  of  the 
place  would  have  made  impossible  anything  like  quiet  thought 
I  saw  many  persons  who  had  brought  the  works  of  favorite  authors 
with  them,  for  recreation  at  odd  hours,  but  of  all  the  works  thus 
brought,  I  never  saw  one  read.  Men  preferred — or  rather  it  grew; 


274  ELDORADO. 

involuntarily,  into  a  custom — to  lie  at  ease  instead,  and  turn  over 
in  the  brain  all  their  shifts  and  manoeuvres  of  speculation,  to  see 
whether  any  chance  had  been  left  uutouched.  Some,  grouped 
around  a  little  pocket-stove,  beguile  an  hour  or  two  over  their 
cans  of  steaming  punch  or  other  warming  concoction,  and  build 
schemes  out  of  the  smoke  of  their  rank  Guayaquil  puros — for  the 
odor  of  a  genuine  Havana  is  unknown.  But,  by  nine  o'clock  at 
farthest,  nearly  all  the  working  population  of  Sacramento  City  are 
stretched  out  on  mattrass,  plank  or  cold  earth,  according  to  the 
state  of  their  fortunes,  and  dreaming  of  splendid  runs  of  luck  or 
listening  to  the  sough  of  the  wind  in  the  trees. 

There  is,  however,  a  large  floating  community  of  overland  emi 
grants,  miners  and  sporting  characters,  who  prolong  the  wakeful- 
ness  of  the  streets  far  into  the  night.  The  door  of  many  a  gam 
bling-hell  on  the  levee,  and  in  J  and  K  streets,  stands  invitingly 
open  ;  the  wail  of  torture  from  innumerable  musical  instruments 
peals  from  all  quarters  through  the  fog  and  darkness,  Full  bands, 
each  playing  different  tunes  discordantly,  are  stationed  in  front  of 
the  principal  establishments,  and  as  these  happen  to  be  near  to 
gether,  the  mingling  of  the  sounds  in  one  horrid,  ear-splitting, 
brazen  chaos,  would  drive  frantic  a  man  of  delicate  nerve.  All 
one's  old  acquaintances  in  the  amateur-music  line,  seem  to  have 
followed  him.  The  gentleman  who  played  the  flute  in  the  next 
room  to  yours,  at  home,  has  been  hired  at  an  ounce  a  night  to 
perform  in  the  drinking-tent  across  the  way  ;  the  very  French 
horn  whose  lamentations  used  to  awake  you  dismally  from  the  first 
sweet  snooze,  now  greets  you  at  some  corner  ;  and  all  the  squeak 
ing  violins,  grumbling  violincellos  and  rowdy  trumpets  which  have 
severally  plagued  you  in  other  times,  are  congregated  here,  in 
loving  proximity.  The  very  strength,  loudness  and  confusion  of 


ETHIOPIAN    MELODIES.  275 

the  noises,  which,  heard  at  a  little  distance,  have  the  effect  of  one 
great  scattering  performance,  marvellously  takes  the  fancy  of  the 
rough  mountain  men. 

Some  of  the  establishments  have  small  companies  of  Ethiopian 
melodists,  who  nightly  call  upon  "  Susanna  !"  and  entreat  to  be 
carried  back  to  Old  Virginny.  These  songs  are  universally  po 
pular,  and  the  crowd  of  listeners  is  often  so  great  as  to  embarrass 
the  player  at  the  monte  tables  and  injure  the  business  of  the 
gamblers.  I  confess  to  a  strong  liking  for  the  Ethiopian  airs,  and 
used  to  spend  half  an  hour  every  night  in  listening  to  them  and 
watching  the  curious  expressions  of  satisfaction  and  delight  in  the 
faces  of  the  overland  emigrants,  who  always  attended  in  a  body. 
The  spirit  of  the  music  was  always  encouraging  ;  even  its  most 
doleful  passages  had  a  grotesque  touch  of  cheerfulness — a  mingling 
of  sincere  pathos  and  whimsical  consolation,  which  somehow  took 
hold  of  all  moods  in  which  it  might  be  heard,  raising  them  to  the 
same  notch  of  careless  good-humor.  The  Ethiopian  melodies  well 
deserve  to  be  called,  as  they  are  in  fact,  the  national  airs  of  America. 
Their  quaint,  mock-sentimental  cadences,  so  well  suited  to  the 
broad  absurdity  of  the  words — their  reckless  gaiety  and  irreverent 
familiarity  with  serious  subjects — and  their  spirit  of  antagonism 
and  perseverance — are  true  expressions  of  the  more  popular  sides 
of  the  national  character.  They  follow  the  American  race  in  all 
its  emigrations,  colonizations  and  conquests,  as  certainly  as  the 
Fourth  of  July  and  Thanksgiving  Day.  The  penniless  and  half 
despairing  emigrant  is  stimulated  to  try  again  by  the  sound  of 
"  It  '11  never  do  to  give  it  up  so  !"  and  feels  a  pang  of  home-sick 
ness  at  the  burthen  of  the  "  Old  Virginia  Shore." 

At  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  Sacramento  City  boasted 
the  only  theatre  in  California.  Its  performances,  three  times  a 


270  ELDORADO. 

week,  were  attended  by  crowds  of  the  miners,  and  the  owners 
realized  a  very  handsome  profit.  The  canvas  building  used  for 
this  purpose  fronted  on  the  levee,  within  a  door  or  two  of  the  City 
Hotel ;  it  would  have  been  taken  for  an  ordinary  drinking-house, 
but  for  the  sign :  "  EAGLE  THEATRE,"  which  was  nailed  to  the 
top  o4*  the  canvas  frame.  Passing  through  the  bar-room  we  ar 
rive  at  the  entrance  ;  the  prices  of  admission  are  :  Box,  $3  ; 
Pit,  $2.  The  spectators  are  dressed  in  heavy  overcoats  and  felt 
hats,  with  boots  reaching  to  the  knees.  The  box-tier  is  a  single 
rough  gallery  at  one  end,  capable  of  containing  about  a  hundred 
persons  ;  the  pit  will  probably  hold  three  hundred  more,  so  that 
the  receipts  of  a  full  house  amount  to  $900.  The  sides  and  roof 
of  the  theatre  are  canvas,  which,  when  wet,  effectually  prevents 
ventilation,  and  renders  the  atmosphere  hot  and  stifling.  The 
drop-curtain,  which  is  down  at  present,  exhibits  a  glaring  land 
scape,  with  dark-brown  trees  in  the  foreground,  and  lilac-colored 
mountains  against  a  yellow  sky. 

The  overture  commences ;  the  orchestra  is  composed  of  only 
five  members,  under  the  direction  of  an  Italian,  and  performs  with 
tolerable  correctness.  The  piece  for  the  night  is  "  The  Spectre 
of  the  Forest,"  in  which  the  celebrated  actress,  Mrs.  Ray,  "  of  the 
Royal  Theatre,  New  Zealand,"  will  appear.  The  bell  rings  ;  the 
curtain  rolls  up  ;  and  we  look  upon  a  forest  scene,  in  the  midst  of 
which  appears  Hildebrand,  the  robber,  in  a  sky-blue  mantle.  The 
foliage  of  the  forest  is  of  a  dark-red  color,  which  makes  a  great 
impression  on  the  spectators  and  prepares  them  for  the  bloody 
scenes  that  are  to  follow.  The  other  characters  are  a  brave 
knight  in  a  purple  dress,  with  his  servant  in  scarlet ;  they  are 
about  to  storm  the  robber's  hold  and  carry  off  a  captive  maiden. 
Several  acts  are  filled  with  the  usual  amount  of  fighting  and  ter- 


THE    INSIDE    OF    A    CALIFORNIA    THEATRE.  277 

rible  speeches  ;  but  the  interest  of  the  play  is  carried  to  an  awful 
height  by  the  appearance  of  two  spectres,  clad  in  mutilated  tent- 
covers,  and  holding  spermaceti  candles  in  their  hands.  At  this 
juncture  Mrs.  Ray  rushes  in  and  throws  herself  into  an  attitude  in 
the  middle  of  the  stage :  why  she  does  it,  no  one  can  tell.  This 
movement,  which  she  repeats  several  times  in  the  course  of  the 
first  three  acts,  has  no  connection  with  the  tragedy  ;  it  is  evidently 
introduced  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  audience  that  there  is, 
actually,  a  female  performer.  The  miners,  to  whom  the  sight  of 
a  woman  is  not  a  frequent  occurrence,  are  delighted  with  these 
passages  and  applaud  vehemently. 

In  the  closing  scenes,  where  Hildebrand  entreats  the  heroine  to 
become  his  bride,  Mrs.  Ray  shone  in  all  her  glory.  "  No !"  said 
she,  "  I'd  rather  take  a  basilisk  and  wrap  its  cold  fangs  around  me, 
than  be  clasped  in  the  hembraces  of  an  'artless  robber."  Then, 
changing  her  tone  to  that  of  entreaty,  she  calls  upon  the  knight  in 
purple,  whom  she  declares  to  be  "  me  'ope — me  only  'ope  !"  We 
will  not  stay  to  hear  the  songs  and  duetts  which  follow ;  the 
tragedy  has  been  a  sufficient  infliction.  For  her  "  'art-rending" 
personations,  Mrs.  Ray  received  $200  a  week,  and  the  wages  of 
the  other  actors  were  in  the  same  proportion.  A  musical  gentle 
man  was  paid  $96  for  singing  "  The  Sea !  the  Sea !"  in  a  deep 
bass  voice.  The  usual  sum  paid  musicians  was  $16  a  night.  A 
Swiss  organ-girl,  by  playing  in  the  various  hells,  accumulated 
$4000  in  the  course  of  five  or  six  months. 

The  southern  part  of  Sacramento  City,  where  the  most  of  the 
overland  emigrants  had  located  themselves,  was  an  interesting  place 
for  a  night-ramble,  when  one  had  courage  to  undertake  threading 
the  thickets  among  which  their  tents  were  pitched.  There,  on 
fallen  logs  about  their  camp-fires,  might  be  seen  groups  that  had 


278  ELDORADO. 

journoyed  together  across  the  Continent,  recalling  the  hardships 
and  perils  of  the  travel.  The  men,  with  their  long  beards, 
weather-beaten  faces  and  ragged  garments,  seen  in  the  red,  flick 
ering  light  of  the  fires,  made  wild  and  fantastic  pictures.  Some 
times  four  of  them  might  be  seen  about  a  stump,  intent  on  re 
viving  their  ancient  knowledge  of  "  poker,"  and  occasionally  a 
more  social  group,  filling  their  tin  cups  from  a  kettle  of  tea  or 
something  stronger.  Their  fires,  however,  were  soon  left  to 
smoulder  away  ;  the  evenings  were  too  raw  and  they  were  too 
weary  with  the  day's  troubles  to  keep  long  vigils. 

Often,  too,  without  playing  the  eavesdropper,  one  might  mingle 
unseen  with  a  great  many  of  their  companies  gathered  together 
inside  the  tents.     Tie  thin,  transparent  canvas  revealed  the  sha 
dows  of  their  forms,  and  was  no  impediment  to  the  sound  of  their 
voices  ;  besides,  as  they  generally  spoke  in  a  bold,  hearty  tone, 
every  word  could  be  overheard  at  twenty  yards'  distance.     The 
fragments  of  conversation  which  were  caught  in  walking  through 
this  part  of  the  city  made  a  strange  but  most  interesting  medley. 
There  were  narratives  of  old  experience   on  the  Plains ;  notes 
about  the  passage  of  the  mountains  compared ;  reminiscences  of 
the  Salt  Lake  City  and  its  strange  enthusiasts ;  sufferings  at  the 
sink  of  Humboldt's  River  and  in  the  Salt  Desert  recalled,  and 
opinions    of  California  in  general,  given    in  a  general  manner. 
The    conversation,  however,   was  sure  to    wind    up  with   a  talk 
about  home — a  lamentation  for  its  missed  comforts  and  frequently 
a  regret  at  having  forsaken  them.     The  subject  was  inexhaustible, 
and  when  once  they  commenced  calling  up  the  scenes  and  inci 
dents  of  their  life  in  the  Atlantic  or  Mississippi  world,  everything 
else  was  forgotten.     At  such  times,  and  hearing  snatches  of  these 
conversations,  I  too  was  carried  home  by  an  irresistible  longing, 


SQUATTERS'  AND  GAMBLERS'  QUARRELS.  279 

and  went  back  to  my  blankets  and  dreams  of  grizzly  bear,  dis 
couraged  and  dissatisfied. 

Before  I  left  the  place,  the  number  of  emigrants  settled  there 
for  the  winter  amounted  to  two  or  three  thousand.  They  were 
all  located  on  the  vacant  lots,  which  had  been  surveyed  by  the 
original  owners  of  the  town  and  were  by  them  sold  to  others.  The 
emigrants,  who  supposed  that  the  land  belonged  of  right  to  the 
United  States,  boldly  declared  their  intention  of  retaining  pos 
session  of  it.  Each  man  voted  himself  a  lot,  defying  the  threats 
and  remonstrances  of  the  rightful  owners.  The  town  was  greatly 
agitated  for  a  time  by  these  disputes  ;  meetings  were  held  by  both 
parties,  and  the  spirit  of  hostility  ran  to  a  high  pitch.  At  the 
time  of  my  leaving  the  country,  the  matter  was  still  unsettled,  but 
the  flood  which  occurred  soon  after,  by  sweeping  both  squatters 
and  speculators  off  the  ground,  balanced  accounts  for  awhile  and 
left  the  field  clear  for  a  new  start. 

In  the  gambling-hells,  under  the  excitement  of  liquor  and  play, 
a  fight  was  no  unusual  occurrence  More  than  once,  while  walk 
ing  in  the  streets  at  a  late  hour,  I  heard  the  report  of  a  pistol ; 
once,  indeed,  I  came  near  witnessing  a  horrid  affray,  in  which  one 
of  the  parties  was  so  much  injured  that  he  lay  for  many  days  blind, 
and  at  the  point  of  death.  I  was  within  a  few  steps  of  the  door, 
and  heard  the  firing  in  time  to  retreat.  The  punishment  for  these 
quarrels,  when  inflicted — which  was  very  rarely  done — was  not  so 
prompt  and  terrible  as  for  theft ;  but,  to  give  the  gambling  com 
munity  their  due,  their  conduct  was  much  more  orderly  and  re 
spectable  than  it  is  wont  to  be  in  other  countries.  This,  however, 
was  not  so  much  a  merit  of  their  own  possessing,  as  the  effect  of  a 
strong  public  sentiment  in  favor  of  preserving  order. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  fate  of  my  old  gray  mare,  who 


280  ELDORADO. 

would  have  served  me  faithfully,  had  she  been  less  lazy  and  bettei 
provided  with  forage.  On  reaching  Sacramento  City  I  found  that 
Gen.  Morse  had  been  keeping  her  for  me  at  a  livery  stable,  at  a 
cost  of  $5  a  day.  She  looked  in  much  better  spirits  than  when  I 
saw  her  eating  pine-bark  on  the  Mokelumne,  and  in  riding  to  the 
town  of  Sutter,  I  found  that  by  a  little  spurring,  she  could  raise 
a  very  passable  gallop.  The  rains,  however,  by  putting  a  stop  to 
travel,  had  brought  down  the  price  of  horses,  so  that  after  search 
ing  some  time  for  a  purchaser  I  could  get  no  offer  higher  than 
$50.  I  consented  to  let  her  go  ;  we  went  into  a  store  and  weighed 
out  the  price  in  fine  North  Fork  gold,  and  the  new  owner,  after 
trotting  her  through  the  streets  for  about  an  hour,  sold  her  again 
for  $60.  I  did  not  care  to  trace  her  fortunes  further. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE    OVERLAND    EMIGRATION    OF    1849. 

SACRAMENTO  CITY  was  the  goal  of  the  emigration  by  the  north 
ern  routes.  From  the  beginning  of  August  to  the  last  of  December 
scarcely  a  day  passed  without  the  arrival  of  some  man  or  company 
of  men  and  families,  from  the  mountains,  to  pitch  their  tents  for 
a  few  days  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and  rest  from  their  months  of 
hardship.  The  vicissitudes  through  which  these  people  had  passed, 
the  perils  they  had  encountered  and  the  toils  they  had  endured 
seem  to  me  without  precedent  in  History.  The  story  of  thirty 
thousand  souls  accomplishing  a  journey  of  more  than  two  thousand 
miles  through  a  savage  and  but  partially  explored  wilderness, 
crossing  on  their  way  two  mountain  chains  equal  to  the  Alps  in 
height  and  asperity,  besides  broad  tracts  of  burning  desert,  and 
plains  of  nearly  equal  desolation,  where  a  few  patches  of  stunted 
shrubs  and  springs  of  brackish  water  were  their  only  stay,  has  in 
it  so  much  of  heroism,  of  daring  and  of  sublime  endurance,  that 
we  may  vainly  question  the  records  of  any  age  for  its  equal. 
Standing  as  I  was,  at  the  closing  stage  of  that  grand  pilgrimage, 
the  sight  of  these  adventurers  as  they  came  in  day  by  day,  and  the 
hearing  of  their  stories,  each  of  which  had  its  own  peculiar  and 
separate  character,  had  a  more  fascinating,  because  more  real  in 
terest  than  the  tales  of  the  glorious  old  travelers  which  so  impress 
us  in  childhood 


282  ELDORADO 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give,  in  a  general  description  of  the 
emigration,  viewed  as  one  great  movement,  a  complete  idea  of  its 
many  wonderful  phases.  The  experience  of  any  single  man,  which 
a  few  years  ago  would  have  made  him  a  hero  for  life,  becomes 
mere  common-place,  when  it  is  but  one  of  many  thousands  ;  yet 
the  spectacle  of  a  great  continent,  through  a  region  of  one  thou 
sand  miles  from  north  to  south,  being  overrun  with  these  adven 
turous  bands,  cannot  be  pictured  without  the  relation  of  many 
episodes  of  individual  bravery  and  suffering.  I  will  not  attempt  a 
full  account  of  the  emigration,  but,  as  I  have  already  given  an 
outline  of  the  stories  of  those  who  came  by  the  Grila  route,  a  simi 
lar  sketch  of  what  those  encountered  who  took  the  Northern  route 
— the  great  overland  highway  of  the  Continent — will  not  be  without 
its  interest  in  this  place. 

The  great  starting  point  for  this  route  was  Independence,  Mo., 
where  thousands  were  encamped  through  the  month  of  April, 
waiting  until  the  grass  should  be  sufficiently  high  for  their  cattle, 
before  they  ventured  on  the  broad  ocean  of  the  Plains.  From  the 
first  of  May  to  the  first  of  June,  company  after  company  took  its 
departure  from  the  frontier  of  civilization,  till  the  emigrant  trail 
from  Fort  Leavenworth,  on  the  Missouri,  to  Fort  Laramie,  at  the 
foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  was  one  long  line  of  mule-trains  and 
wagons.  The  rich  meadows  of  the  Nebraska,  or  Platte,  were 
settled  for  the  time,  and  a  single  traveler  could  have  journeyed  for 
the  space  of  a  thousand  miles,  as  certain  of  his  lodging  and  regular 
meals  as  if  he  were  riding  through  the  old  agricultural  districts  ol 
the  Middle  States.  The  wandering  tribes  of  Indians  on  the  Plains 
— the  Pawnees,  Sioux  and.Arapahoes — were  alarmed  and  bewil 
dered  by  this  strange  apparition.  They  believed  they  were  about 
to  be  swept  away  forever  from  their  hunting-grounds  and  graves. 


THE    CHOLERA    ON    THE    PLAINS.  283 

As  the  season  advanced  and  the  great  body  of  the  emigrants  got 
under  way,  they  gradually  withdrew  from  the  vicinity  of  the  trail 
and  betook  themselves  to  grounds  which  the  former  did  not  reach. 
All  conflicts  with  them  were  thus  avoided,  and  the  emigrants 
passed  the  Plains  with  perfect  immunity  from  their  thievish  and 
hostile  visitations. 

Another  and  more  terrible  scourge,  however,  was  doomed  to  fall 
upon  them.  The  cholera,  ascending  the  Mississippi  from  New 
Orleans,  reached  St.  Louis  about  the  time  of  their  departure  from 
Independence,  and  overtook  them  before  they  were  fairly  embarked 
on  the  wilderness.  The  frequent  rains  of  the  early  spring,  added 
to  the  hardship  and  exposure  of  their  travel,  prepared  the  way  for 
its  ravages,  and  the  first  three  or  four  hundred  miles  of  the  trail 
were  marked  by  graves.  It  is  estimated  that  about  four  thousand 
persons  perished  from  this  cause.  Men  were  seized  without  warn 
ing  with  the  most  violent  symptoms,  and  instances  occurred  in 
which  the  sufferer  was  left  to  die  alone  by  the  road-side,  while  his 
panic-stricken  companions  pushed  forward,  vainly  trusting  to  get 
beyond  the  influence  of  the  epidemic.  Rough  boards  were  planted 
at  the  graves  of  those  who  were  buried  near  the  trail,  but  there 
are  hundreds  of  others  lying  unmarked  by  any  memorial,  on  the 
bleak  surface  of  the  open  plain  and  among  the  barren  depths  of  the 
mountains.  I  have  heard  men  tell  how  they  have  gone  aside  from 
their  company  to  bury  some  old  and  cherished  friend — a  brother, 
It  may  often  have  been — performing  the  last  rites  alone  and  un 
aided,  and  leaving  the  remains  where  none  but  the  wolf  will  ever 
ceek  their  resting-place. 

Py  the  time  the  companies  reached  Fort  Laramie  the  epidemic 
had  expended  its  violence,  and  in  the  pure  air  of  the  elevated 
mountain  region  they  were  safe  from  its  further  attacks.  Now, 


284  ELDORADO 

however,  the  real  hardships  of  their  journey  began.  Up  and  down 
the  mountains  that  hem  in  the  Sweetwater  Valley — over  the  spurs 
of  the  Wind  River  chain — through  the  Devil's  Gate,  and  past  the 
stupendous  mass  of  Rock  Independence — they  toiled  slowly  up  to 
the  South  Pass,  descended  to  the  tributaries  of  the  Colorado  and 
plunged  into  the  rugged  defiles  of  the  Timpanozu  Mountains. 
Here  the  pasturage  became  scarce  and  the  companies  were  obliged 
to  take  separate  trails  in  order  to  %id  sufficient  grass  for  their 
teams.  Many,  who,  in  their  anxiety  to  get  forward  with  speed, 
had  thrown  away  a  great  part  of  the  supplies  that  encumbered 
them,  now  began  to  want,  and  were  frequently  reduced,  in  their 
necessity,  to  make  use  of  their  mules  and  horses  for  food,  ft  was 
not  unusual  for  a  mess,  by  way  of  variety  to  the  tough  mule-meat, 
to  kill  a  quantity  of  rattle-snakes,  with  which  the  mountains 
abounded,  and  have  a  dish  of  them  fried,  for  supper.  The  distress 
of  many  of  the  emigrants  might  have  been  entirely  avoided,  had 
they  possessed  any  correct  idea,  at  the  outset  of  the  journey,  of  it? 
length  and  privations. 

It  must  have  been  a  remarkable  scene,  which  the  City  of  the 
Great  Salt  Lake  presented  during  the  summer.  There,  a  com 
munity  of  religious  enthusiasts,  numbering  about  ten  thousand, 
had  established  themselves  beside  an  inland  sea,  in  a  grand 
valley  shut  in  by  snow-capped  mountains,  a  thousand  miles  from 
"any  other  civilized  spot,  and  were  dreaming  of  rebuilding  the 
Temple  and  creating  a  New  Jerusalem.  Without  this  restino-- 
place  in  mid-journey,  the  sufferings  of  the  emigrants  must  have 
been  much  aggravated.  The  Mormons,  however,  whose  rich 
grain-lands  in  the  Valley  of  the  Utah  River  had  produced  them 
abundance  of  supplies,  were  able  to  spare  sufficient  for  these  whose 
stock  was  exhausted.  Two  or  three  thousand,  who  arrived  lat>3  in 


THE    EMIGRANTS    IN    THE    GREAT    BASIN.  285 

the  season,  remained  in  the  Valley  all  winter,  fearing  to  undertake 
the  toilsome  journey  which  still  remained. 

Those  who  set  out  for  California  had  the  worst  yet  in  store  for 
them.  Crossing  the  alternate  sandy  wastes  and  rugged  mountain 
chains  of  the  Great  Basin  to  the  Valley  of  Humboldt's  River,  they 
were  obliged  to  trust  entirely  to  their  worn  and  weary  animals  for 
reaching  the  Sierra  Nevada  before  the  winter  snows.  The  grass 
was  scarce  and  now  fast  drying  up  in  the  scorching  heat  of  mid- 
Bummer.  In  the  endeavor  to  hasten  forward  and  get  the  first 
chance  of  pasture,  many  again  committed  the  same  mistake  of 
throwing  away  their  supplies.  I  was  told  of  one  man,  who,  with  a 
refinement  of  malice  and  cruelty  which  it  would  be  impossible  to 
surpass,  set  fire  to  the  meadows  of  dry  grass,  for  the  sole  purpose, 
it  was  supposed,  of  retarding  the  progress  of  those  who  were  be 
hind  and  might  else  overtake  him.  A  company  of  the  emigrants, 
on  the  best  horses  which  were  to  be  obtained,  pursued  him  and 
shot  him  from  the  saddle  as  he  rode — a  fate  scarcely  equal  to  his 
deserts. 

The  progress  of  the  emigrants  along  the  Valley  of  Humboldt's 
River  is  described  as  having  been  slow  and  toilsome  in  the  ex 
treme.  The  River,  which  lies  entirely  within  the  Great  Basin, — 
whose  waters,  like  those  of  the  uplands  of  Central  Asia,  have  no 
connexion  with  the  sea — shrinks  away  towards  the  end  of  summer, 
and  finally  loses  itself  in  the  sand,  at  a  place  called  the  Sink. 
Here,  the  single  trail  across  the  Basin  divides  into  three  branches, 
and  the  emigrants,  leaving  the  scanty  meadows  about  the  Sink 
have  before  them  an  arid  desert,  varying  from  fifty  to  eighty  miles 
in  breadth,  according  to  the  route  which  they  take.  Many  com 
panies,  on  arriving  at  this  place,  were  obliged  to  stop  and  recruit 
their  exhausted  animals,  though  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being 


286  ELDORADO. 

detained  there  the  whole  winter,  from  the  fall  of  snow  on  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  Another,  and  very  large  body  of  them,  took  the 
upper  route  to  Lawson's  Pass,  which  leads  to  the  head  of  the 
Sacramento  Valley  ;  but  the  greater  part,  fortunately,  chose  the 
old  traveled  trails,  leading  to  Bear  Creek  and  the  Yuba,  by  way  of 
Truckee  River,  and  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Rio  Americano  by 
way  of  Carson's  River. 

The  two  latter  routes  are  the  shortest  and  best.  After  leaving 
the  Sink  of  Humboldt's  River,  and  crossing  a  desert  of  about  fifty 
miles  in  breadth,  the  emigrant  reaches  the  streams  which  are  fed 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada,  where  he  finds  good  grass  and  plenty  of 
game.  The  passes  are  described  as  terribly  rugged  and  precipitous, 
leading  directly  up  the  face  of  the  great  snowy  ridge.  As,  how 
ever,  they  are  not  quite  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  are 
reached  from  a  plateau  of  more  than  four  thousand  feet,  the  ascent 
is  comparatively  short ;  while,  on  the  western  side,  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  of  mountain  country  -must  be  passed,  before  reach 
ing  the  level  of  the  Sacramento  Valley.  There  are  frequent 
passes  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  which  were  never  crossed  before  the 
summer  of  1849.  Some  of  the  emigrants,  diverging  from  the 
known  trail,  sought  a  road  for  themselves,  and  found  their  way 
down  from  the  snows  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Tuolumne,  the 
Calaveras  and  Feather  River.  The  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  is  but  imperfectly  explored.  All  the  emigrants  concurred 
in  representing  it  to  me  as  an  abrupt  and  broken  region,  the 
higher  peaks  of  barren  granite,  the  valleys  deep  and  narrow,  yet 
in  many  places' timbered  with  pine  and  cedar  of  immense  growth. 

After  passing  the  dividing  ridge, — the  descent  from  which  was 
rendered  almost  impossible  by  precipices  and  steeps  of  naked  rock 
— about  thirty  miles  of  alternate  canons  and  divides  lay  between 


THE    DESCENT    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS.  287 

the  emigrants  and  the  nearest  diggings.  The  steepness  of  the 
slopes  of  this  range  is  hardly  equalled  by  any  other  mountains  in 
the  world.  The  rivers  seem  to  wind  their  way  through  the  bot 
toms  of  chasms,  and  in  many  places  it  is  impossible  to  get  dowa 
to  the  water.  The  word  canon  (meaning,  in  Spanish,  a  funnel,) 
has  a  peculiar  adaptation  to  these  cleft  channels  through  which  the 
rivers  are  poured.  In  getting  down  from  the  summit  ridge  the 
emigrants  told  me  they  were  frequently  obliged  to  take  the  oxen 
from  the  wagon  and  lower  it  with  ropes  ;  but  for  the  sheer  descents 
which  followed,  another  plan  was  adopted.  The  wheels  were  all 
locked,  and  only  one  yoke  of  oxen  left  in  front ;  a  middling- 
sized  pine  was  then  cut  down,  and  the  butt  fastened  to  the 
axle-tree,  the  branchy  top  dragging  on  the  earth.  The  holding 
back  of  the  oxen,  the  sliding  of  the  locked  wheels,  and  the  resist 
ance  of  the  tree  together  formed  an  opposing  power  sufficient  to 
admit  of  a  slow  descent ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  observe  great  care 
lest  the  pace  should  be  quickened,  for  the  slightest  start  would 
have  overcome  the  resistance  and  given  oxen,  wagon  and  tree  to 
gether  a  momentum  that  would  have  landed  them  at  the  bottom  in 
a  very  different  condition. 

In  August,  before  his  departure  for  Oregon,  Gen.  Smith  took 
the  responsibility  of  ordering  pack-mules  and  supplies  to  be  pro 
vided  at  the  expense  of  Government,  and  gave  Major  Rucker 
orders  to  dispatch  relief  companies  into  the  Great  Basin  to  succor 
the  emigrants  who  might  be  remaining  there,  for  want  of  pro 
visions  to  advance  further.  In  this  step  he  was  also  warmly 
seconded  by  Gen.  Riley,  and  the  preparations  were  made  with  the 
least  possible  delay.  Public  meetings  of  the  citizens  of  San  Fran 
cisco  were  also  held,  to  contribute  means  of  relief.  Major  Rucker 
dispatched  a  party  with  supplies  and  fresh  animals  by  way  of  the 


288  ELDORADO. 

Truckee  River  route  to  the  Sink  of  Humboldt's  River,  while  he 
took  the  expedition  to  Pitt  River  and  Lawson's  Pass,  under  his 
own  command.  The  first  party,  after  furnishing  provisions  on 
the  road  to  all  whom  they  found  in  need,  reached  the  Sink,  and 
started  the  families  who  were  still  encamped  there,  returning  with 
them  by  the  Carson  River  route  and  bringing  in  the  last  of  the 
emigration,  only  a  day  or  two  before  the  heavy  snows  came  on, 
which  entirely  blocked  up  the  passes  But  for  this  most  timely 
aid,  hundreds  of  persons  must  havo  perished  by  famine  and  cold. 

Those  who  took  the  trail  for  Lawson's  Pass  fared  even  worse. 
They  had  been  grossly  deceived  with  regard  to  the  route,  which, 
instead  of  being  a  nearer  passage  into  California,  is  actually  two 
hundred  miles  longer  than  the  other  routes,  and  though  there  is  no 
ridge  of  equal  height  to  be  crossed,  the  amount  of  rough  mountain 
travel  is  even  greater.  The  trail,  after  crossing  the  Sierra  by  a 
low  gap,  (which  has  lately  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
Pacific  Railroad,)  enters  the  Valley  of  Pitt  River,  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Upper  Sacramento.  Following  the  course  of 
this  river  for  about  ninety  miles,  it  reaches  a  spur  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  which  runs  from  the  head  waters  of  Feather  River  to 
near  the  Shaste  Peak,  closing  up  the  level  of  the  lower  Sacramento 
Valley.  These  mountains  are  from  five  to  six  thousand  feet  in 
height  and  rugged  in  the  extreme,  and  over  them  the  weary  emi 
grant  must  pass  before  the  Land  of  Promise — the  rich  Valley  of 
the  Sacramento — meets  his  view. 

At  the  time  I  returned  to  Sacramento  City,  Major  Rucker  had 
just  returned  from  his  expedition.  He  found  a  large  body  of 
emigrants  scattered  along  Pitt  River,  many  of  them  entirely 
destitute  of  provisions  and  others  without  their  animals,  which 
the  predatory  Indians  of  that  region  had  stolen.  Owing  to  the 


APATHY    IN    PERIL.  289 

large  number  who  required  his  assistance,  he  was  obliged  to  re 
turn  to  the  ranches  on  Deer  Creek  and  procure  further  supplies, 
leaving  Mr.  Peoples  to  hurry  them  on  meanwhile.  Everything 
was  done  to  hasten  their  movement,  but  a  strange  and  unaccount 
able  apathy  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of  them.  The  sea 
son  was  late,  and  a  single  day  added  te>  the  time  requisite  to  get 
them  into  the  Sacramento  Valley  might  prove  ruinous  to  them 
and  their  assistants.  Whether  the  weary  six  months  they  passed 
in  the  wilderness  had  had  the  effect  of  destroying  all  their  active 
energy  and  care  for  their  own  safety,  or  whether  it  was  actual 
ignorance  of  their  true  situation  and  contempt  of  counsel  because 
it  seemed  to  wear  the  shape  of  authority,  it  is  difficult  to  tell — but 
the  effect  was  equally  dangerous.  After  having  improvidently 
thrown  away,  in  the  first  part  of  the  journey,  the  supplies  so  need 
ful  afterwards,  they  now  held  fast  to  useless  goods,  and  refused  to 
lighten  the  loads  of  their  tired  oxen.  But  few  of  them  appeared 
to  have  a  sense  of  the  aid  which  was  rendered  them ;  instead 
of  willingly  cooperating  with  those  who  had  charge  of  the  relief 
party,  they  gave  much  unnecessary  trouble  and  delayed  the  jour 
ney  several  days. 

Of  the  companies  which  came  by  this  route  several  small  parties 
struck  into  the  mountains  to  the  southward  of  Pitt  River,  hoping 
to  find  an  easy  road  to  the  diggings  on  Feather  River.  Of  these, 
some  reached  the  river,  after  many  days  of  suffering  and  danger ; 
others  retraced  their  steps  and  by  making  desperate  efforts  re 
gained  the  companies  on  Pitt  River,  while  some,  who  had  not 
been  heard  of  at  the  time  I  left,  were  either  locked  up  for  the 
winter  in  the  midst  of  terrible  snows,  01  had  already  perished  from 
hunger.  I  met  with  one  or  two  who  had  been  several  days  in  the 

mountains  without  food,  and  only  escaped  death  by  a  miracle.    A 
13 


290  ELDOKADO- 

company  of  six,  who  set  out  on  the  hunt  of  some  Indians  who  bad 
stolen  their  cattle,  never  returned. 

It  happened  to  the  emigrants  as  Major  Rucker  had  forewarned 
them.  A  letter  from  Mr.  Peoples,  which  he  received  during  my 
stay,  gave  a  most  striking  account  of  the  hardships  to  which  they 
had  subjected  themselves.  A  violent  storm  came  on  while  they 
were  crossing  the  mountains  to  Deer  Creek,  and  the  mules,  unac 
customed  to  the  severe  cold,  sank  down  and  died  one  after  another. 
In  spite  of  their  remonstrances,  Mr.  Peoples  obliged  them  to  leave 
their  wagons  and  hurry  forward  with  the  remaining  animals.  The 
women,  who  seemed  to  have  far  more  energy  and  endurance  than 
the  men,  were  mounted  on  mules,  and  the  whole  party  pushed  on 
through  the  bleak  passes  of  the  mountains  in  the  face  of  a  raging 
Storm.  By  extraordinary  exertions,  they  were  all  finally  brought 
into  the  Sacramento  Valley,  with  the  loss  of  many  wagons  and 
animals.  On  receiving  this  letter,  Major  Rucker  set  out  for  Law- 
son's  Ranche  on  Deer  Creek,  where  he  saw  the  emigrants  com 
fortably  established  for  the  winter.  They  had  erected  log-houses 
for  shelter  ;  the  flour  supplied  to  them  from  the  Government  stores 
and  cattle  from  the  large  herds  on  the  neighboring  ranches,  fur 
nished  them  with  the  means  of  subsistence.  The  return  to  Sac 
ramento  City,  in  the  depth  of  the  rainy  season,  was  an  almost  im 
possible  undertaking. 

The  greater  part  of  those  who  came  in  by  the  lower  routes, 
started,  after  a  season  of  rest,  for  the  mining  region,  where  many 
of  them  arrived  in  time  to  build  themselves  log  huts  for  the  winter 
Some  pitched  their  tents  along  the  river,  to  wait  for  the  genial 
spring  season  ;  while  not  a  few  took  their  axes  and  commenced 
the  business  of  wood-cutting  in  the  timber  on  its  banks.  When 
shipped  to  San  Francisco,  the  wood,  which  they  took  with  the 


CLOSE    OF    THE    EMIGRATION.  29] 

usual  freedom  of  Uncle  Sam's  nephews,  brought  $40  a  cord  ;  the 
steamboats  which  called  for  it  on  their  trips  up  and  down,  paid 
$15.  By  the  end  of  December  the  last  man  of  the  overland  com 
panies  was  safe  on  the  western  side  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  the 
great  interior  wilderness  resumed  its  ancient  silence  and  solitude 
until  the  next  spring. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    ITALY    OF    THE    WEST 

AT  the  end  of  a  week  of  rain,  during  which  we  had  a  few  de 
ceptive  gleams  of  clear  weather,  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  getting  to 
the  Yuba  and  Feather  Rivers,  and  took  my  passage  in  the  steamer 
Senator,  for  San  Francisco.  The  time  for  leaving  was  before  sun 
rise,  and  the  loud  ringing  of  the  first  bell  awoke  me  as  I  lay  on  my 
Chinese  quilt  in  Capt.  Baker's  store.  The  weather  had  changed 
during  the  night,  and  when  I  went  out  of  doors  I  found  a  keen, 
cloudless  dawn,  with  the  wind  blowing  down  the  river.  Had  the 
three  weeks  of  dry  season,  so  confidently  predicted  by  the  old  setr 
tiers,  actually  commenced  ?  I  was  not  long  in  deliberating,  though 
the  remote  chance  of  an  opportunity  for  making  my  journey  to  the 
Shaste  Peak,  tempted  me  sorely ;  but  the  end  proved  that  I  de 
cided  aright,  for  on  the  second  day  after  my  arrival  at  San  Fran- 
«isco,  the  rains  set  in  again  worse  than  ever. 

The  steamer,  which  formerly  ran  between  Boston  and  Eastport, 
was  a  strong,  spacious  and  elegant  boat.  Notwithstanding  the 
fare  to  San  Francisco  was  $30,  she  rarely  carried  less  than  two 
hundred  passengers.  When  I  went  on  board,  her  decks  were  al 
ready  filled,  and  people  were  hurrying  down  from  all  parts  of  the 
town,  her  bell  tolling  meanwhile  with  the  quick,  incessant  stroke 


STEAM    ON    THE    SACRAMENTO.  293 

of  a  Hudson  River  boat,  one  minute  before  the  time  of  starting. 
After  my  recent  barbaric  life,  her  long  upper  saloon,  with  its  sofas 
and  faded  carpet,  seemed  splendid  enough  for  a  palace.  As  we 
sped  down  the  Sacramento,  and  the  well-known  bell  and  sable 
herald  made  their  appearance,  requesting  passengers  to  step  to  the 
Captain's  office,  I  could  scarcely  believe  that  I  was  in  California. 
On  the  hurricane  deck  I  met  with  several  persons  who  had  been 
fellow-passengers  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  Some  had  been  to 
the  head  of  the  Sacramento  Valley ;  some  on  Feather  River ; 
some  again  on  the  famous  Trinity,  where  they  had  got  more  fever 
than  gold  ;  but  all,  though  not  alike  successful,  seemed  energetic 
and  far  from  being  discouraged. 

After  passing  the  town  of  Sutter,  the  bell  rang  for  breakfast, 
and  having  previously  procured  a  ticket  for  two  dollars,  I  joined 
the  anxious  throng  who  were  pressing  down  the  cabin  stairs.  The 
long  tables  were  set  below  in  the  same  style  as  at  home  ;  the  fare 
was  abundant  and  well  prepared  ;  even  on  the  Hudson  it  would 
have  given  rise  to  tew  grumblings.  We  steamed  rapidly  down 
the  river,  with  Monte  Diablo  far  before  us.  Owing  to  the  twists 
and  turns  of  the  stream,  it  was  but  an  uncertain  landmark,  now 
appearing  on  one  side  and  now  on  the  other.  The  cold  snows  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  were  faintly  seen  in  the  eastern  sky,  but  between 
the  Sacramento  and  the  mountains,  the  great  plain  stretched  out 
in  a  sweep  which  to  the  north  and  south  ran  unbroken  to  the 
horizon.  The  banks,  stripped  now  of  their  summer  foliage,  would 
have  been  dreary  and  monotonous,  but  for  the  tents  and  log-houses 
of  the  settlers  and  wood-cutters.  I  noticed  in  little  spots  where 
the  thicket  had  been  cleared  away,  patches  of  cabbages  and  other 
hardy  vegetables,  which  seemed  to  have  a  thrifty  growth. 

We  came  at  last  to  the  entrance  of  the   slough,  the  navigation 


294  ELDORADO. 

of  which  was  a  matter  of  considerable  nicety.  The  current  waa 
but  a  few  feet  wider  than  the  steamer,  and  many  of  the  bends 
occasioned  her  considerable  trouble.  Her  bow  sometimes  ran  in 
among  the  boughs  of  the  ti  3es,  where  she  could  not  well  be 
backed  without  her  stern  goiug  into  the  opposite  bank.  Much 
time  and  part  of  the  planking  of  her  wheel-houses  were  lost  in 
getting  through  these  narrow  straits.  The  small  craft  on  their 
way  up  the  river  were  obliged  to  run  close  under  the  limbs  of  the 
trees  and  hug  the  banks  tightly  until  we  had  passed.  At  last  we 
came  out. again  in  the  real  Sacramento,  avoiding  the  numerous 
other  sloughs  which  make  off  into  the  tule  marshes,  and  soon 
reached  the  city  of  Montezuma,  a  solitary  house  on  a  sort  of  head 
land  projecting  into  Suisun  Bay  and  fronting  its  rival  three-house 
city,  New-York-of-the-Paeific  The  bay  was  dancing  to  the  fresh 
northern  breeze  as  we  skimmed  its  waters  towards  Benicia;  Monte 
Diablo,  on  the  other  side,  wore  a  blue  mist  over  his  scarred  and 
rocky  surface,  which  looked  deceptively  near. 

The  three  weeks  of  rain  which  had  fallen  since  I  passed  up  the 
bay,  had  brought  out  a  vivid  green  over  all  the  hills.  Those  along 
the  water  were  no  longer  lifeless  and  barren,  but  covered  with 
sprouting  vegetation.  Benicia,  as  we  approached  it,  appeared 
like  a  child's  toy  town  set  out  on  a  piece  of  green  velvet.  Con 
trasted  with  this  gay  color,  the  changeless  hue  of  the  evergreen 
oaks  appeared  sombre  almost  to  blackness  ;  seen  in  unison  with 
a  cloudless  sky  and  the  glittering  blue  of  the  bay,  the  effect 
of  the  fresh  green  was  indescribably  cheerful  and  inspiring. 
We  touched  but  a  few  minutes  at  Benicia,  whose  streets 
presented  a  quiet  appearance,  coining  from  the  thronged  avenues 
of  Sacramento  City.  The  houses  were  mostly  frame,  of  neat 
construction ;  a  church  with  a  small  white  spire,  at  the  upper 


THE    SUNSETS    OF    CALIFORNIA.  295 

end  of  the  town,  stood  out  brightly  against  the  green  of  the  hills 
behind. 

Beyond  these  hills,  at  the  distance  of  thirty-five  miles,  is  the 
pleasant  little  town  of  Sonoma,  Gren.  Yallejo's  residence.  In 
summer  it  is  reached  from  Sacramento  City  by  a  trail  of  forty 
miles,  but  when  the  rains  come  on,  the  tule  marshes  running  up 
from  the  bay  between  the  river  and  the  mountains,  are  flooded, 
and  a  circuit  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles  must  be  made  to  get 
around  them.  Two  days'  journey  north  of  Sonoma  is  Lake  Clear, 
a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  sixty  miles  in  length,  embosomed  in  the 
midst  of  grand  mountain  scenery. 

Sunset  came  on  as  we  approached  the  strait  opening  from  Pablo 
Bay  into  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  cloudless  sky  became 
gradually  suffused  with  a  soft  rose-tint,  which  covered  its  whole  sur 
face,  painting  alike  the  glassy  sheet  of  the  bay,  and  glowing  most 
vividly  on  the  mountains  to  the  eastward.  The  color  deepened 
every  moment,  and  the  peaks  of  the  Coast  Range  burned  with  a 
rich  vermilion  light,  like  that  of  a  live  coal.  This  faded  gradually 
into  as  glowing  a  purple,  and  at  last  into  a  blue  as  intense  as  that 
of  the  sea  at  noonday.  The  first  effect  of  the  light  was  most 
wonderful ;  the  mountains  stretched  around  the  horizon  like  a 
belt  of  varying  fire  and  amethyst  between  the  two  roseate  deeps 
of  air  and  water  ;  the  shores  were  transmuted  into  solid,  the  air 
into  fluid  gems.  Could  the  pencil  faithfully  represent  this  mag 
nificent  transfiguration  of  Nature,  it  would  appear  utterly  unreal 
and  impossible  to  eyes  which  never  beheld  the  reality.  It  was  no 
transient  spectacle,  fading  away  ere  one  could  feel  its  surpassing 
glory.  It  lingered,  and  lingered,  changing  almost  imperceptibly 
and  with  so  beautiful  a  decay,  that  one  lost  himself  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  each  successive  charm,  without  regret  for  those  which 


296  ELDORADO. 

were  over.  The  dark  blue  of  the  mountains  deepened  into  their 
night-garb  of  dusky  shadow  without  any  interfusion  of  dead  ashy 
color,  and  the  heaven  overhead  was  spangled  with  all  its  stars  long 
before  the  brilliant  arch  of  orange  in  the  west  had  sunk  below  the 
horizon.  I  have  seen  the  dazzling  sunsets  of  the  Mediterranean 
flush  the  beauty  of  its  shores,  and  the  mellow  skies  which  Claude 
used  to  contemplate  from  the  Pincian  Hill ;  but,  lovely  as  they 
are  in  my  memory,  they  seem  cold  and  pale  when  I  think  of  the 
splendor  of  such  a  scene,  on  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco. 

The  approach  to  the  city  was  very  imposing  in  the  dusk.  The 
crowd  of  shipping,  two  or  three  miles  in  length,  stretched  along 
the  water  in  front ;  the  triple  crown  of  the  hills  behind  was  clearly 
marked  against  the  sky,  and  from  the  broad  space  covered  with 
sparkling  lights,  glimmerings  of  tents  and  white  buildings,  and 
the  sounds  of  active  life,  I  half  believed  that  some  metropolis  of  a 
century's  growth  lay  before  me.  On  landing,  notwithstanding  I 
had  only  been  absent  three  weeks,  I  had  some  difficulty  in  recog 
nizing  localities.  The  change  appeared  greater  than  at  any  pre 
vious  arrival,  on  account  of  the  removal  of  a  great  many  of  the 
old  buildings  and  the  erection  of  larger  and  more  substantial  edi 
fices  in  their  stead. 

After  a  few  days  of  violent  rain,  the  sky  cleared  and  we  had  a 
week  of  the  most  delicious  weather  I  ever  experienced.  The  tem 
perature  was  at  no  time  lower  than  50°,  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  rose  to  70°.  When  the  floating  gauze  of  mist  had  cleared  off 
the  water,  the  sky  was  without  a  cloud  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day,  and  of  a  fresh,  tender  blue,  which  was  in  exquisite  relief  tc 
the  pale  green  of  the  hills.  To  enjoy  the  delighful  temperature 
and  fine  scenery  of  the  Bay,  I  used  frequently  to  climb  a  hill  just 
in  the  rear  of  the  town,  whence  the  harbor,  the  strait  into  Pablo 


A    COMPANY    CF    WASHMEN.  297 

Bay,  the  Grolden  Gate  and  the  horizon  of  the  Pacific  could  all  be 
seen  at  one  view.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  are  the  graves  of  several 
Russians,  who  came  out  in  the  service  of  the  Russian  Company, 
each  surmounted  with  a  black  cross,  bearing  an  inscription  in  their 
language.  All  this  ground,  however,  has  been  surveyed,  staked 
into  lots  and  sold,  and  at  the  same  rate  of  growth  the  city  will  not 
be  long  in  climbing  the  hill  and  disturbing  the  rest  of  the  Musco 
vites. 

In  company  with  my  friends,  the  Moores,  I  made  many  short 
excursions  among  the  hills,  during  this  charming  season.  Our 
most  frequent  trip  was  to  Fresh  Pond,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
old  Presidio.  With  a  gray  donkey — an  invaluable  beast,  by  the 
way — harnessed  to  a  light  cart,  in  which  we  had  placed  two  or 
three  empty  barrels,  we  drove  out  to  the  place,  a  little  basin  shut 
in  by  the  hills,  and  only  divided  by  a  narrow  bushy  ridge  from  the 
waters  of  the  G-olden  Grate.  Several  tents  were  pitched  on  its 
margin  ;  the  washmen  and  gardeners  had  established  themselves 
there  and  were  diligently  plying  their  respective  occupations.  A 
little  strip  of  moist  bottom  adjoining  the  pond  had  been  cleared  of 
its  thickets  and  was  partly  ploughed,  showing  a  rich  black  loam. 
The  washerwomen,  of  whom  there  were  a  few,  principally  Mexicans 
and  Indians,  had  established  themselves  on  one  side  of  the  pond 
and  the  washmen  on  another.  The  latter  went  into  the  business 
on  a  large  scale,  having  their  tents  for  ironing,  their  large  kettles 
for  boiling  the  clothes  and  their  fluted  wash-boards  along  the  edgfe 
of  the  water.  It  was  an  amusing  sight  to  see  a  great,  burly,  long- 
bearded  fellow,  kneeling  on  the  ground,  with  sleeves  rolled  up  to 
the  elbows,  and  rubbing  a  shirt  on  the  board  with  such  violence 
that  the  suds  flew  and  the  buttons,  if  there  were  any,  must  soon 
snap  off  Their  clear-starching  an^  ironing  were  still  more  ludi- 


298  ELDORADO. 

crous  ;  but,  notwithstanding,  they  succeeded  fully  as  well  as  the 
women,  and  were  rapidly  growing  rich  from  the  profits  of  their 
business.  Where  $8  a  dozen  is  paid  for  washing  clothes,  it  is 
very  easy  to  earn  double  the  wages  of  a  Member  of  Congress 

The  sunsets  we  saw  from  the  hills  as  we  drove  slowly  back  with 
the  barrels  filled,  were  all  of  the  same  gorgeous  character.  The 
air  had  a  purity  and  sweetness  which  made  the  long  hour  of  twi 
light  enchanting,  and  we  frequently  lingered  on  the  road  till  after 
dark.  "We  helped  our  patient  donkey  up  the  hill  by  pushing  be 
hind  his  cart — an  aid  he  seemed  fully  to  appreciate,  for  he  pulled 
at  such  times  with  much  more  spirit.  He  had  many  curious  ways 
about  him,  the  most  remarkable  of  which  was  his  capacity  for  di 
gestion.  Cloth,  canvas  and  shavings  seemed  as  much  his  natural 
food  as  hay  or  green  grass.  Whenever  he  broke  loose  during  the 
night,  which  was  not  seldom,  it  was  generally  followed  in  the 
morning  by  a  visit  from  some  emigrant,  claiming  damages  for  the 
amount  of  tent-covering  which  had  been  chewed  up.  Once,  in 
deed,  a  man  who  had  indulged  rather  freely  in  bad  brandy,  at 
twenty-five  cents  a  glass,  wandered  in  the  dark  to  the  place  where 
the  donkey  was  tethered,  lay  down  at  his  feet  and  fell  asleep. 
When  he  awoke  in  the  morning,  sobered  by  the  coolness  of  his 
bed  and  foggy  blankets,  he  found  to  his  utter  surprise  and  honor, 
that  the  ravenous  beast  had  not  only  devoured  his  cap  but  cropped 
nearly  all  the  hair  from  one  side  of  his  head  !  As  the  man's  hair 
happened  to  be  glowing  in  color  and  coarse  in  texture,  the  mistake 
of  the  donkey  in  taking  it  to  be  swamp  hay,  is  not  so  much  to  be 
wondered  at. 

The  valley  about  the  Mission  Dolores  was  charmingly  green 
and  beautiful  at  this  time.  Several  of  the  former  miners,  in  an 
ticipation  of  the  great  influx  of  emigrants  into  the  country  and  a 


AN    ATTEMPT    AT    SQUATTER    LIFE.  299 

consequent  market  for  vegetables,  pitched  their  tents  on  the  best 
spots  along  the  Mission  Creek,  and  began  preparing  the  ground 
for  gardens.  The  valley  was  surveyed  and  staked  into  lots  almost 
to  the  summit  of  the  mountains,  and  the  operation  of  squatting 
was  performed  even  by  many  of  the  citizens  of  San  Francisco,  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  titles  to  the  land.  Some  gentlemen  of 
my  acquaintance  came  into  the  possession  of  certain  stone  quarries, 
meadow  lands  and  fine  sheep-pastures,  in  this  manner ;  where 
upon  a  friend  of  mine,  and  myself,  concluded  to  try  the  experiment, 
thinking  the  experience  might,  at  least,  be  of  some  benefit.  So, 
one  fine  morning  we  rode  out  to  the  Mission,  where  we  found  the 
surveyor  on  one  of  the  hills,  chopping  up  the  chapparal  into 
"  hundred  vara"  lots.  He  received  us  cordially,  and  on  looking 
over  his  map  of  the  locality,  found  two  adjoining  lots  of  two  hun 
dred  varas  each,  which  were  still  unoccupied.  They  lay  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Valley,  on  the  slope  of  the  mountains.  We 
hastened  away,  crossed  two  yawning  arroyos  and  climbed  the  steep, 
where,  truly  enough,  we  found  the  stakes  indicating  the  limits  of 
the  survey.  I  chose  a  little  valley,  scooped  out  between  two  peaks 
of  the  ridge,  and  watered  by  a  clear  stream  which  trickled  down 
through  its  centre.  My  friend  took  a  broader  tract,  which  was  not 
so  well  watered  as  mine  ;  however,  on  examining  the  soil,  we 
agreed  that  it  would  produce  good  crops  of  cabbages  and  turnips. 
Accordingly,  we  marched  leisurely  over  the  ground,  ascended  to 
its  highest  part,  and  took  a  seat  on  a  boulder  of  gray  rock,  which 
stood  exactly  upon  the  line  between  our  two  territories.  All  the 
beautiful  Valley  lay  beneath  us,  with  the  bay  beyond,  a  part  of  th  > 
shipping  of  San  Francisco,  and  Monte  Diablo  in  the  distance — a 
fine  prospect  for  a  squatter  ! 

On  our  return  to  the  city,  we  debated   whether  we  should  pro- 


300  ELDORADO. 

cure  materials  for  a  tent  and  take  up  an  abode  on  the  lofty  lots  ; 
but,  as  it  was  not  at  all  clear  that  any  land  could  be  granted,  or 
that  it  would  be  worth  taking  even  if  we  should  become  bona  fide 
settlers,  we  finally  determined  to  let  the  matter  rest.  We  did  not 
repeat  our  visit,  and  we  learned  soon  afterwards  that  violent  dis» 
putes  had  arisen  between  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mission  and  the 
emigrants  who  had  commenced  gardening.  I,  who  never  owned 
a  rood  of  land  in  my  life,  would  nevertheless  have  accepted  the 
proprietorship  of  one  of  the  bleak  pinnacles  of  the  Sierra  Navada — 
or  better,  the  top  of  the  Shaste  Peak — could  it  have  been  given 
me,  for  the  mere  satisfaction  of  feeling  that  there  was  one  spot  of 
the  Earth  which  I  might  claim  as  my  own,  down  to  its  burning 
centre. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

SAN    FRANCISCO,    FOUR    MONTHS    LATER. 

OF  all  the  marvellous  phases  of  the  history  of  the  Present,  the 
growth  of  San  Francisco  is  the  one  which  will  most  tax  the  belief 
of  the  Future.  Its  parallel  was  never  known,  and  shall  never  be 
beheld  again.  I  speak  only  of  what  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes. 
When  I  landed  there,  a  little  more  than  four  months  before,  I 
found  a  scattering  town  of  tents  and  canvas  houses,  with  a  show 
of  frame  buildings  on  one  or  two  streets,  and  a  population  of  about 
Bix  thousand.  Now,  on  my  last  visit,  I  saw  around  me  an  actual 
metropolis,  displaying  street  after  street  of  well-built  edifices, 
filled  with  an  active  and  enterprising  people  and  exhibiting  every 
mark  of  permanent  commercial  prosperity.  Then,  the  town  was 
limited  to  the  curve  of  the  Bay  fronting  the  anchorage  and  bottoms 
of  the  hills.  Now  it  stretched  to  the  topmost  heights,  followed 
the  shore  around  point  after  point,  and  sending  back  a  long  arm 
through  a  gap  in  the  hills,  took  hold  of  the  G-olden  Gate  and  was 
building  its  warehouses  on  the  open  strait  and  almost  fronting  the 
blue  horizon  of  the  Pacific.  Then,  the  gold-seeking  sojourner 
lodged  in  muslin  rooms  and  canvas  garrets,  with  a  philosophic 
lack  of  furniture,  and  ate  his  simple  though  substantial  fare  from 
pine  boards.  Now,  lofty  hotels,  gaudy  with  verandas  and  bal 
conies,  were  met  with  in  all  quarters,  furnished  with  home  luxury, 


802  ELDORADO. 

and  aristocratic  restaurants  presented  daily  their  long  bills  of  fare, 
rich  with  the  choicest  technicalities  of  the  Parisian  cuisine.  Then, 
vessels  were  coming  in  day  after  day,  to  lie  deserted  and  useless  at 
their  anchorage.  Now  scarce  a  day  passed,  but  some  cluster  of 
sails,  bound  outward  through  the  Golden  Grate,  took  their  way  to 
all  the  corners  of  the  Pacific.  Like  the  magic  seed  of  the  Indian 
juggler,  which  grew,  blossomed  and  bore  fruit  before  the  eyes  of 
his  spectators,  San  Francisco  seemed  to  have  accomplished  in  a 
day  the  growth  of  half  a  century. 

When  I  first  landed  in  California,  bewildered  and  amazed  by 
what  seemed  an  unnatural  standard  of  prices,  I  formed  the 
opinion  that  there  would  be  before  long  a  great  crash  in  specula 
tion.  Things,  it  appeared  then,  had  reached  the  crisis,  and  it  was 
pronounced  impossible  that  they  could  remain  stationary.  This 
might  have  been  a  very  natural  idea  at  the  time,  but  the  subse 
quent  course  of  affairs  proved  it  to  be  incorrect.  Lands,  rents, 
goods  and  subsistence  continued  steadily  to  advance  in  cost,  and  as 
the  credit  system  had  been  meanwhile  prudently  contracted,  the 
character  of  the  business  done  was  the  more  real  and  substantial. 
Two  or  three  years  will  pass,  in  all  probability,  before  there  is  a 
positive  abatement  of  the  standard  of  prices.  There  will  be 
fluctuations  in  the  meantime,  occasioning  great  gains  and  losses, 
but  the  fall  in  rents  and  real  estate,  when  it  comes,  as  it  inevitably 
must  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years,  will  not  be  so  ornshiiig 
as  I  at  first  imagined.  I  doubt  whether  it  will  seriously  injure  the 
commercial  activity  of  the  place.  Prices  will  never  fall  to  the 
same  standard  as  in  the  Atlantic  States.  Fortunes  Will  always  be 
made  by  the  sober,  intelligent,  industrious,  and  energetic  ;  but  no 
one  who  is  either  too  careless,  too  spiritless  or  too  ignorant  to  suc 
ceed  at  home,  need  trouble  himself  about  emigrating.  Tne  same 


ITEMS    OF    SPECULATION.  303 

general  rule  holds  good,  as  well  here  as  elsewhere,  and  it  is  all  the 
better  for  human  nature  that  it  is  so. 

Not  only  was  the  heaviest  part  of  the  business  conducted 
on  cash  principles,  but  all  rents,  even  to  lodgings  in  hotels,  were 
required  to  be  paid  in  advance.  A  single  bowling-alley,  in  the 
basement  story  of  the  Ward  House — a  new  hotel  on  Portsmouth- 
Square — prepaid  $5,000  monthly.  The  firm  of  Findley,  John 
son  &  Co.  sold  their  real  estate,  purchased  a  year  previous,  for 
$20,000,  at  $300,000  ;  $25,000  down,  and  the  rest  in  monthly 
instalments  of  $12,500.  This  was  a  fair  specimen  of  the  specu 
lations  daily  made.  Those  on  a  lesser  scale  were  frequently  of  a 
very  amusing  character,  but  the  claims  on  one's  astonishment  were 
so  constant,  that  the  faculty  soon  wore  out,  and  the  most  unheard- 
of  operations  were  looked  upon  as  matters  of  course  Among 
others  that  came  under  my  observation,  was  one  of  a  gentleman 
who  purchased  a  barrel  of  alum  for  $6,  the  price  in  New  York 
being  $9.  It  happened  to  be  the  only  alum  in  the  place,  and  as 
there  was  a  demand  for  it  shortly  afterwards,  he  sold  the  barrel 
for  $150.  Another  purchased  all  the  candle-wick  to  be  found,  at 
an  average  price  of  40  cts.  per  lb.,  and  sold  it  in  a  short  time  at 
$2  25  per  lb.  A  friend  of  mine  expended  $10,000  in  purchasing 
barley,  which  in  a  week  brought  $20,000  The  greatest  gaina 
were  still  made  by  the  gambling  tables  and  the  eating-houses. 
Every  device  that  art  could  suggest  was  used  to  swell  the  custom 
of  the  former.  The  latter  found  abundant  support  in  the  neces 
sities  of  a  large  floating  population,  in  addition  to  the  swarm  o 
permanent  residents. 

For  a  month  or  two  previous  to  this  time,  money  had  been  very 
scarce  in  the  market,  and  from  ten  to  fifteen  per  cent,  monthly,  was 
paid,  with  the  addition  of  good  security.  Notwithstanding  th« 


304  SLDORADO. 

quantity  of  coin  brought,  into  the  country  by  emigrants,  and  tha 
millions  of  gold  dust  used  as  currency,  the  actual  specie  basis 
tvas  very  small  compared  with  the  immense  amount  of  business 
transacted.  Nevertheless,  I  heard  of  nothing  like  a  failure  ;  the 
principal  firms  were  prompt  in  all  their  dealings,  and  the  chivalry 
of  Commerce — to  use  a  new  phrase — was  as  faithfully  observed  as 
it  could  have  been  in  the  old  marts  of  E  Arope  and  America.  The 
merchants  had  a  'Change  and  News-room,  and  were  beginning  to 
cooperate  in  their  movements  and  consolidate  their  credit.  A 
Btock  company  which  had  built  a  long  wharf  at  the  foot  of  Sacra- 
ento-st.  declared  a  dividend  of  ten  per  cent,  within  six  weeks  after 
the  wharf  was  finished.  During  the  muddy  season,  it  was  the 
only  convenient  place  for  landing  goods,  and  as  the  cost  of  con 
structing  it  was  enormous,  so  were  likewise  the  charges  for  wharf 
age  and  storage. 

There  had  been  a  vast  improvement  in  the  means  of  living 
since  my  previous  visit  to  San  Francisco.  Several  large  hotels 
had  been  opened,  which  were  equal  in  almost  every  respect  to 
houses  of  the  second  class  in  the  Atlantic  cities.  The  Ward 
House,  the  Graham  House,  imported  bodily  from  Baltimore,  and 
the  St.  Francis  Hotel,  completely  threw  into  the  shade  all  former 
establishments.  The  rooms  were  furnished  with  comfort  and  even 
luxury,  and  the  tables  lacked  few  of  the  essentials  of  good  living, 
according  to  a  '  home'  taste.  The  sleeping  apartments  of  the  St. 
Francis  were  the  best  in  California.  The  cost  of  board  and 
lodging  was  $150  per  month — which  was  considered  unusually 
cheap.  A  room  at  the  Ward  House  cost  $250  monthly,  without 
board.  The  principal  restaurants  charged  $35  a  week  foi 
board,  and  there  were  lodging  houses  where  a  berth  or  "  bunk'' 
—one  out  of  fifty  in  the  same  room — might  be  had  for  $6  a  week 


A    CITY    OF    MEN.  305 

The  model  of  these  establishments — which  were  far  from  being 
"  model  lodging-houses" — was  that  of  a  ship.  A  number  of  state 
rooms,  containing  six  berths  each,  ran  around  the  sides  of  a  large 
room,  or  cabin,  where  the  lodgers  resorted  to  read,  write,  smoke 
and  drink  at  their  leisure.  The  state-rooms  were  consequently 
filled  with  foul  and  unwholesome  air,  and  the  noises  in  the  cabin 
prevented  the  passengers  from  sleeping,  except  between  midnight 
and  four  o'clock. 

The  great  want  of  San  Francisco  was  society.  Think  of  a  city 
of  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  peopled  by  men  alone  !  The  like 
of  this  was  never  seen  before.  Every  man  was  his  own  housekeeper, 
doing,  in  many  instances,  his  own  sweeping,  cooking,  washing  and 
mending.  Many  home-arts,  learned  rather  by  observation  than 
experience,  came  conveniently  into  play.  He  who  cannot  make  a 
bed,  cook  a  beefsteak,  or  sew  up  his  own  rips  and  rents,  is  unfit 
to  be  a  citizen  of  California.  Nevertheless,  since  the  town  began 
to  assume  a  permanent  shape,  very  many  of  the  comforts  of  life 
in  the  East  were  attainable.  A  family  may  now  live  there  with 
out  suffering  any  material  privations  ;  and  if  every  married  man, 
who  intends  spending  some  time  in  California,  would  take  his 
family  with  him,  a  social  influence  would  soon  be  created  to  which 
we  might  look  for  the  happiest  results. 

Towards  the  close  of  my  stay,  the  city  was  as  dismal  a  place  as 
could  well  be  imagined.  The  glimpse  of  bright,  warm,  serene 
weather  passed  away,  leaving  in  its  stead  a  raw,  cheerless,  south 
east  storm.  The  wind  now  and  then  blew  a  heavy  gale,  and  the 
cold,  steady  fall  of  rain,  was  varied  by  claps  of  thunder  and  sud 
den  blasts  of  hail.  The  mud  in  the  streets  became  little  short 
of  fathomless,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  mules  could  drag 
their  empty  wagons  through.  A  powerful  London  dray-horse,  a 


306  ELDORADO. 

very  giant  in  harness,  was  the  only  animal  able  to  pull  a  good 
load  ;  and  I  was  told  that  he  earned  his  master  $100  daily.  I  saw 
occasionally  a  company  of  Chinese  workmen,  carrying  bricks  and 
mortar,  slung  by  ropes  to  long  bamboo  poles.  The  plank  side 
walks,  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  ran  along  the  brink  of  pools 
and  quicksands,  which  the  Street  Inspector  and  his  men  vainly  en 
deavored  to  fill  by  hauling  cart-loads  of  chapparal  and  throwing 
sand  on  the  top ;  in  a  day  or  two  the  gulf  was  as  deep  as  ever. 
The  side-walks,  which  were  made  at  the  cost  of  $5  per  foot, 
bridged  over  the  worst  spots,  but  I  was  frequently  obliged  to  go 
the  whole  length  of  a  block  in  order  to  get  on  the  other  side. 
One  could  not  walk  any  distance,  without  getting  at  least  ancle- 
deep,  and  although  the  thermometer  rarely  sank  below  50°,  it  was 
impossible  to  stand  still  for  even  a  short  time  without  a  death-like 
chill  taking  hold  of  the  feet.  As  a  consequence  of  this,  coughs 
and  bronchial  affections  were  innumerable.  The  universal  custom 
of  wearing  the  pantaloons  inside  the  boots  threatened  to  restore 
the  knee-breeches  of  our  grandfathers'  times.  Even  women  were 
obliged  to  shorten  their  skirts,  and  wear  high-topped  boots.  The 
population  seemed  to  be  composed  entirely  of  dismounted  hussars. 
All  this  will  be  remedied  when  the  city  is  two  years  older,  and 
Portsmouth  Square  boasts  a  pave  as  elegant  as  that  on  the  dollar 
side  of  Broadway. 

The  severe  weather  occasioned  a  great  deal  of  sickness,  espe 
cially  among  those  who  led  an  exposed  life.  The  city  overflowed 
with  people,  and  notwithstanding  buildings  were  continually  grow 
ing  up  like  mushrooms,  over  night,  hundreds  who  arrived  were 
obliged  to  lodge  in  tents,  with  which  the  summits  of  the  hills  were 
covered.  Fever-and-ague  and  dysentery  were  the  prevailing  com 
plaints,  the  great  prevalence  of  which  was  owing  undoubtedly  to 


WINTER    WEATHER.  307 

exposure  and  an  irregular  habit  of  life.  An  association  was  form 
ed  to  relieve  those  in  actual  want,  many  of  the  wealthiest  and 
most  influential  citizens  taking  an  honorable  part  in  the  matter. 
Many  instances  of  lamentable  destitution  were  by  this  means 
brought  to  light.  Nearly  all  the  hospitals  of  the  place  were  soon 
filled,  and  numbers  went  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  to  recroit.  The 
City  Hospital,  a  large,  well  ventilated  and  regulated  establisu- 
ment,  contained  about  fifty  patients.  The  attending  physician 
described  to  me  several  cases  of  nearly  hopeless  lunacy  which  had 
come  under  his  care,  some  of  them  produced  by  disappointment 
and  ill-luck,  and  others  by  sudden  increase  of  fortune.  Poor 
human  nature ! 

In  the  midst  of  the  rains,  we  were  greeted  one  morning  with  a 
magnificent  spectacle.  The  wind  had  blown  furiously  during  the 
night,  with  violent  falls  of  rain,  but  the  sun  rose  in  a  spotless  sky, 
revealing  the  Coast  Mountains  across  the  bay  wrapped  in  snow 
half-way  down  their  sides.  For  two  days  they  wore  their  dazzling 
crown,  which  could  be  seen  melting  away  hour  by  hour,  from  their 
ridges  and  cloven  ravines.  This  was  the  only  snow  I  saw  while  in 
San  Francisco ;  only  once  did  I  notice  any  appearance  of  frost. 
The  grass  was  green  and  vigorous,  and  some  of  the  more  hardy 
plants  in  blossom  ;  vegetables,  it  is  well  known,  flourish  with  equal 
luxuriance  during  the  winter  season.  At  one  of  the  restaurants, 
I  was  shown  some  remarkable  specimens  of  the  growth  of  Califor 
nia  soil — potatoes,  weighing  from  one  to  five  pounds  each  ;  beets 
and  turnips  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  perfectly  sweet  and 
sound ;  and  large,  silver-skinned  onions,  whose  delicate  flavor  the 
most  inveterate  enemy  of  this  honest  vegetable  could  not  but  have 
relished.  A  gentleman  who  visited  the  port  of  Bodega,  informed 
me  that  he  saw  in  the  garden  of  Capt.  Smith,  the  owner  of  the 


308  ELPQRADO. 

place,  pea-vines  which  had  produced  their  third  crop  from  the 
same  root  in  one  summer. 

As  the  rains  drove  the  deer  and  other  animals  down  from  the 
mountains,  game  of  all  kinds  became  abundant.  Fat  elks  and 
splendid  black-tailed  does  hung  at  the  doors  of  all  the  butcher- 
shops,  and  wild  geese,  duck  and  brant,  were  brought  into  the 
city  by  the  wagon-load.  "  Grizzly  bear  steak,"  became  a  choice 
dish  at  the  eating-houses  ;  I  had  the  satisfaction  one  night  of 
eating  a  slice  of  one  that  had  weighed  eleven  hundred  pounds. 
The  flesh  was  of  a  bright  red  color,  very  solid,  sweet,  and  nutri 
tious;  its  flavor  was  preferable  to  that  of  the  best  pork.  The 
large  native  hare,  a  specimen  of  which  occasionally  found  its  way 
to  the  restaurants,  is  nowise  inferior  to  that  of  Europe.  As  an 
illustration  of  the  money  which  might  be  spent  in  procuring  a 
meal  no  better  than  an  ordinary  hotel-dinner  at  home,  I  may 
mention  that  a  dinner  for  fifteen  persons,  to  which  I  was  invited, 
at  the  "  Excelsior,"  cost  the  giver  of  it  $225. 

The  effect  of  a  growing  prosperity  and  some  little  taste  of  luxury 
was  readily  seen  in  the  appearance  of  the  business  community  of 
San  Francisco.  The  slouched  felt  hats  gave  way  to  narrow-brim 
med  black  beavers ;  flannel  shirts  were  laid  aside,  and  white 
linen,  though  indifferently  washed,  appeared  instead ;  dress  and 
frock  coats,  of  the  fashion  of  the  previous  year  in  the  Atlantic 
side,  came  forth  from  trunks  and  sea-chests ;  in  short,  a  San 
Francisco  merchant  was  almost  as  smooth  and  spruce  in  his  out 
ward  appearance  as  a  merchant  anywhere  else.  The  hussar 
boot,  however,  was  obliged  to  be  worn,  and  a  variation  of  the 
Mexican  sombrero — a  very  convenient  and  becoming  head-piece — 
came  into  fashion  among  the  younger  class. 

The  steamers  which  arrived  at  this  time,  brought  large  quan« 


SAN    FRANCISCO    NEWSPAPERS.  'J09 

titles  of  newspapers  from  all  parts  of  the  Atlantic  States.  The 
speculation  which  had  been  so  successful  at  first,  was  completely 
overdone  ;  there  was  a  glut  in  the  market,  in  consequence  whereof 
newspapers  came  down  to  fifty  and  twenty-five  cents  apiece.  The 
leading  journals  of  New-York,  New-Orleans  and  Boston  were  cried 
at  every  street-corner.  The  two  papers  established  in  the  place 
issued  editions  "  for  the  Atlantic  Coast,"  at  the  sailing  of  every 
steamer  for  Panama.  The  ofiices  were  invaded  by  crowds  of  pur 
chasers,  and  the  slow  hand-presses  in  use  could  not  keej:  pace 
with  the  demand.  The  profits  of  these  journals  were  almost  in 
credible,  when  contrasted  with  their  size  and  the  amount  of  their 
circulation.  Neither  of  them  failed  to  count  their  gains  at  the 
rate  of  $75,000  a  year,  clear  profit. 

My  preparations  for  leaving  San  Francisco,  were  made  with  the 
regret  that  I  could  not  remain  longer  and  see  more  of  the  won 
derful  growth  of  the  Empire  of  the  West.  Yet  I  was  fortunate 
in  witnessing  the  most  peculiar  and  interesting  stages  of  its  pro 
gress,  and  I  took  my  departure  in  the  hope  of  returning  at  some 
future  day  to  view  the  completion  of  these  magnificent  beginnings 
The  world's  history  has  no  page  so  marvellous  as  tl  at  which  has 
just  been  turned  in  California 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SOCIETY    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

THERE  are  some  features  of  Society  in  California,  which  I  have 
hitherto  failed  to  touch  upon  in  my  narrative,  but  which  deserve  a 
passing  notice  before  I  take  my  final  leave  of  that  wonderful  land 
The  direct  effect  of  the  state  of  things  growing  out  of  the  discovery 
of  the  placers,  was  to  develop  new  qualities  and  traits  of  character, 
not  in  single  individuals,  but  in  every  individual  of  the  entire  com 
munity — traits  frequently  most  unlooked-for  in  those  who  exhibited 
them  in  the  most  marked  degree.  Society,  ^herefore,  was  for  the 
time  cast  into  new  forms,  or,  rather,  deprived  of  any  fixed  form.  A 
man,  on  coming  to  California,  could  no  more  expect  to  retain  his 
old  nature  unchanged,  than  he  could  retain  in  his  lungs  the  air  he 
had  inhaled  on  the  Atlantic  shore. 

The  most  immediate  anc1  striking  change  which  came  upon  the 
greater  portion  of  the  emigrants  was  an  increase  of  activity,  and 
proportionately,  of  reckless  and  daring  spirit.  It  was  curious  to 
see  how  men  hitherto  noted  for  their  prudence  and  caution  took 
sudden  leave  of  those  qualities,  to  all  appearance,  yet  only  pros 
pered  the  more  thereby.  Perhaps  there  was  at  bottom  a  vein  of 
keen,  shrewd  calculation,  which  directed  their  seemingly  heedless 
movements  ;  certain  it  is,  at  least,  that  for  a  long  time  the  rashest 


THE    EMIGRANTS. 


speculators  were  the  most  fortunate.  It  was  this  fact,  no  doubt, 
that  seemed  so  alarming  to  persons  newly-arrived,  and  gave  rise 
to  unnumbered  predictions  of  the  speedy  and  ruinous  crash  of  the 
whole  business  fabric  of  San  Francisco.  But  nothing  is  more  con 
tagious  than  this  spirit  of  daring  and  independent  action,  and  the 
most  doleful  prophets  were,  ere  long,  swallowed  up  in  the  same 
whirlpool  against  which  they  had  warned  others. 

The  emigrants  who  arrive  in  California,  very  soon  divide  into 
two  distinct  classes.  About  two-thirds,  or  possibly  three-fourths 
of  them  are  active,  hopeful  and  industrious.  They  feel  this  sin 
gular  intoxication  of  society,  and  go  to  work  at  something,  no 
matter  what,  by  which  they  hope  to  thrive.  The  remaining  por 
tion  see  everything  "  through  a  glass,  darkly."  Their  first  bright 
anticipations,  are  unrealized  ;  the  horrid  winds  of  San  Francisco 
during  the  dry  season,  chill  and  unnerve  them  :  or,  if  they  go  to 
the  placers,  the  severe  labor  and  the  ill  success  of  inexperienced 
hands,  completes  their  disgust.  They  commit  a  multitude  of  sins 
in  the  shape  of  curses  upon  every  one  who  has  written  or  spoken 
favorably  of  California.  Some  of  them  return  home  without  ha.ving 
seen  the  country  at  all,  and  others,  even  if  they  obtain  profitable 
situations,  labor  without  a  will.  It  is  no  place  for  a  slow,  aa 
over-cautious,  or  a  despoiiding  man.  The  emigrant  should  be 
willing  to  work,  not  only  at  one  business,  but  many,  if  need  be  ; 
the  grumbler  or  the  idler  had  far  better  stay  at  home. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  very  activity  of  California  society 
created  a  spirit  of  excitement  which  frequently  led  to  dangerous 
excesses.  The  habits  of  the  emigrants,  never,  even  at  home,  very 
slow  and  deliberate,  branched  into  all  kinds  of  wild  offshoots,  the 
necessary  effect  of  the  sudden  glow  and  expansion  which  they  ex 
perienced  Those  who  retained  their  health  seemed  to  revel  in  an 


ELDORADO. 


oxul'orance  of  animal  spirits,  which  carried  them  with  scarce  a  jar 
ovor  barriers  and  obstacles  that  would  have  brought  others  to  a 
full  stand.  There  was  something  exceedingly  hearty,  cordial  and 
encouraging  in  the  character  of  social  intercourse.  The  ordinary 
forms  of  courtesy  were  flung  aside  with  a  bluntness  of  good-fel 
lowship  infinitely  preferable,  under  the  circumstances.  I  was 
constantly  reminded  of  the  stories  of  Northern  History — of  the 
stout  Vikings  and  Jarls  who  exulted  in  their  very  passions  and 
made  their  heroes  of  those  who  were  most  jovial  at  the  feast  and 
most  easily  kindled  with  the  rage  of  battle.  Indeed,  it  required 
but  little  effort  of  the  imagination  to  revive  those  iron  ages,  when 
the  rugged  gold-diggers,  with  their  long  hair  and  unshorn  beards, 
were  grouped  around  some  mountain  camp-fire,  revelling  in  the 
ruddy  light  and  giving  full  play  to  a  mirth  so  powerful  and  pro 
found  that  it  would  not  have  shamed  the  Berserkers. 

The  most  common  excesses  into  which  the  Californians  run,  are 
drinking  and  gambling.  I  say  drinking,  rather  than  drunkenness, 
for  I  saw  very  little  of  the  latter.  But  a  single  case  came  under 
my  observation  while  I  was  in  the  gold  region.  The  man's  friends 
took  away  his  money  and  deposited  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Alcalde, 
then  tied  him  to  a  tree  where  they  left  him  till  he  became  sober. 
The  practice  of  drinking,  nevertheless,  was  widely  prevalent,  and 
its  effects  rendered  more  destructive  by  the  large  amount  of  bad 
liquor  which  was  sent  into  the  country,  (rambling,  in  spite  of  a 
universal  public  sentiment  against  it,  grew  and  flourished  ;  the 
disappointment  and  ruin  of  many  emigrants  were  owing  to  its  ex 
istence.  The  gamblers  themselves  were  in  many  instances  men 
who  had  led  orderly  and  respectable  lives  at  home.  I  have  heard 
some  of  them  frankly  avow  that  nothing  would  induce  them  to  ac 
quaint  their  friends  and  families  with  the  nature  of  their  occupa- 


THE    ENERGIES    OF    CALIFORNIA    SOCIETY.  313 

tion  ,  they  would  soon  have  enough,  they  said,  and  then  they  would 
wash  their  hands  of  the  unclean  stain,  and  go  home  to  lead  more 
honorable  lives.  But  alas  !  it  is  not  so  easy  to  wash  out  the 
memory  of  self-degradation.  If  these  men  have  hi  truth  any  sen 
timent  of  honor  remaining,  every  coin  of  the  wealth  they  have 
hoarded  will  awaken  a  shameful  consciousness  cf  the  base  and  un 
manly  business  by  which  it  was  obtained 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  these  dissipating  and  disorganizing  in 
fluences,  the  main  stock  of  society  was  sound,  vigorous  and  pro 
gressive.  The  rank  shoots,  while  they  might  have  slightly  weak 
ened  the  trunk,  only  showed  the  abundant  life  of  the  root.  In 
short,  without  wishing  to  be  understood  as  apologizing  in  any  de 
gree  for  the  evils  which  existed,  it  was  evident  that  had  the  Cali- 
fornians  been  more  cool^grave  and  deliberate  in  their  tempera 
ment — had  they  lacked  the  fiery  energy  and  impulsive  spirit 
which  pushed  them  irresistibly  forward — the  dangers  which  sur 
rounded  them  at  the  outset  would  have  been  far  more  imminent. 
Besides,  this  energy  did  not  run  at  random  ;  it  was  in  the  end 
directed  by  an  enlightened  experience,  and  that  instinct  of  Right, 
which  is  the  strength  and  security  of  a  self-governed  People. 
Hundreds  of  instances  might  be  adduced  to  show  that  the  worst 
passions  of  our  nature  were  speedily  developed  in  the  air  of  Cali 
fornia,  but  the  one  grand  lesson  of  the  settlement  and  organiza 
tion  of  the  country  is  of  a  character  that  ennobles  the  race. 

The  unanimity  with  which  all  united  in  this  work — the  frank 
ness  with  which  the  old  prejudices  of  sect  and  party  were  dis 
claimed — the  freshly-awakened  pride  of  country,  which  made 
every  citizen  jealously  and  disinterestedly  anxious  that  she  should 
acquit  herself  honorably  in  the  eyes  of  the  Nation  at  large — formed 
a  spectacle  which  must  claim  our  entire  admiration.  In  view  of 
14 


314  EI DORADO. 

the  splendid  future  which  is  opening  for  California  it  insures  her 
a  stable  foundation  on  which  to  build  the  superstructure  of  her 
wealth  and  power. 

After  what  has  been  said,  it  wL1  appear  natural  that  California 
should  be  the  most  democratic  country  in  the  world.  The  prac 
tical  equality  of  all  the  members  of  a  community,  whatever  might 
be  the  wealth,  intelligence  or  profession  of  each,  was  never  before 
thoroughly  demonstrated.  Dress  was  no  guage  cf  respectability, 
and  no  honest  occupation,  however  menial  in  its  character,  affect 
ed  a  man's  standing.  Lawyers,  physicians  and  ex-professors  dug 
cellars,  drove  ox-teams,  sawed  wood  and  carried  luggage  ;  while 
men  who  had  been  Army  privates,  sailors,  cooks  or  day  laborers 
were  at  the  head  of  profitable  establishments  and  not  infrequently 
assisted  in  some  of  the  minor  details  of  Government.  A  man 
who  would  consider  his  fellow  beneath  him,  on  account  of  his  ap 
pearance  or  occupation,  would  have  had  some  difficulty  in  living 
peaceably  in  California.  The  security  of  the  country  is  owing,  in 
no  small  degree,  to  this  plain,  practical  development  of  what  the 
French  reverence  as  an  abstraction,  under  the  name  of  Fraternite. 
To  sum  up  all  in  three  words,  LABOR  is  RESPECTABLE  :  may  it 
never  be  otherwise,  while  a  grain  of  gold  is  left  to  glitter  in  Cali- 
fornian  soil  ! 

I  have  dwelt  with  the  more  earnestness  on  these  features  of 
Society  because  they  do  not  seem  to  be  fully  appreciated  on  this 
side  of  the  Continent.  I  cannot  take  leave,  in  the  regular  course 
of  my  narrative,  of  a  land  where  I  found  so  much  ir  Nature  to 
admire  and  enjoy,  without  attempting  to  gire  some  general,  though 
imperfect  view  of  Man,  as  he  appeared  under  those  new  and  wor- 
derful  influences. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

LEAVING    SAN    FRANCISCO. 

THE  rainy  season,  by  rendering  further  travel  very  unsatisfactory 
and  laborious,  if  not  impossible,  put  an  end  to  my  wanderings  in 
California,  which,  in  fact,  had  already  extended  beyond  the  period  I 
had  originally  fixed  for  my  stay.  I  was  therefore  anxious  to  set  out 
on  my  homeward  journey  through  Mexico,  to  which  I  looked  for 
ward  with  glowing  anticipations.  Rather  than  wait  for  the  steamer 
of  Jan.  1st.,  I  decided  to  take  one  of  the  sailing  packets  up  for 
Mazatlan,  as  the  trip  down  the  coast  is  usually  made  in  from  ten 
to  fifteen  days.  The  most  promising  chance  was  that  of  a  Peru 
vian  brigantine  belonging  to  a  German  house,  which  I  was  assured 
would  sail  on  the  15th  of  December.  A  heavy  gale  coming  up  at 
the  time  put  this  out  of  the  question.  I  waited  until  the  17th, 
when  I  went  on  board,  determined  to  set  foot  no  more  in  San 
Franciscan  mud.  The  brigantine — which  bore  the  name  of 
Iquiquena,  from  the  Peruvian  port  of  Iquiqua — was  a  small, 
rakish  craft,  built  at  the  Island  of  Chiloe  for  a  smuggler  in  the 
opium  trade ;  having  been  afterwards  purchased  by  a  house  in 
Callao,  she  still  retained  the  Peruvian  colors. 

In  her  low,  confined  cabin,  containing  eight  berths,  which  were 
reached  by  a  dark  and  crooked  well,  opening  on  the  deck  near  the 


316  ELDORADO 

rudder,  seven  passengers  were  crowded — Americans,  Mexicans  and 
Venezuelans — besides  the  captain,  mate,  supercargo  and  steward, 
who  were  Germans,  as  were  likewise  the  greater  part  of  the  crew. 
To  complete  the  circle  that  met  around  our  little  table  to  discuss 
the  invariable  daily  dinner  of  rice  soup  and  boiled  beef,  I  must 
not  omit  mentioning  a  Chinese  dog,  as  eccentric  in  his  behavior 
as  the  Celestials  on  shore.  The  captain  and  crew  did  nothing  to 
falsify  the  national  reputation  for  tardiness  and  delay.  In  our 
case  the  poco  tiempo  of  the  Chagres  boatmen  was  outdone.  Seven 
days  were  we  doomed  to  spend  in  the  Bay,  before  the  almost 
hopeless  conjunction  of  wind,  tide,  crew,  passengers  and  vessel 
started  us  from  our  anchorage.  On  getting  aboard,  the  captain 
declared  everything  to  be  in  readiness,  except  the  wood  and  water, 
which  would  be  forthcoming  next  day.  Having  some  experience 
of  G-erman  deliberation,  I  at  once  resigned  myself  to  three  days* 
delay.  The  next  day  was  stormy  and  rough ;  on  the  second,  two 
casks  of  water  were  brought  on  board  ;  the  third  was  stormy;  the 
wood  was  purchased  on  the  fourth ;  and  on  the  fifth,  the  sailors 
quarreled  about  their  pay  and  refused  to  go  to  sea. 

While  we  thus  lay  in  the  harbor,  just  inside  the  Rincon,  trying 
to  bear  with  patience  a  delay  so  vexatious,  one  of  the  terrible 
south-east  gales  came  on.  The  wind  gradually  rose  through  the 
night,  and  its  violence  was  heard  and  felt  in  the  whistle  of  the 
rigging  and  the  uneasy  roll  of  our  brigantine.  When  morning 
dawned,  the  sky  was  as  gray  and  cold  as  an  arch  of  granite 
except  towards  the  south-east,  where  a  streak  of  dun  light  seemea 
like  the  opening  through  which  the  whole  fury  of  the  blast  was 
poured  upon  the  bay.  The  timbers  of  the  shipping  creaked  as 
they  were  tossed  about  by  the  lashed  and  driven  waters  ;  the  rig 
ging  hummed  and  roared  till  the  ropes  were  ready  to  snap  with 


A    GALE    AND    A    FIRE.  317 

the  violence  of  their  vibrations.  There  was  little  rain  accom 
panying  the  gale,  but  every  drop  stung  like  a  shot.  Seen  under 
a  sky  and  through  an  atmosphere  from  which  all  sensation  of  light 
and  warmth  was  gone,  the  town  and  hills  of  San  Francisco 
appeared  as  if  cast  in  bronze,  so  cold,  dark,  and  severe  were  their 
outlines.  The  blackest  thunder-gusts  I  ever  saw,  had  nothing  so 
savage  and  relentless  in  their  expression.  All  day  and  night, 
having  dragged  our  anchor  and  drifted  on  the  shoals,  we  lay 
thumping  heavily  with  every  swell,  while  a  large  barque,  with 
three  anchors  out,  threatened  to  stave  in  our  bows.  Towards 
morning  the  rain  increased,  and  in  the  same  proportion  the  gale 
abated.  During  its  prevalence  five  or  six  vessels  were  injured, 
and  two  or  three  entirely  lost. 

The  sailors  having  been  pacified,  the  supercargo  taken  on  board, 
and  the  brig  declared  ready  for  sea,  we  were  detained  another  day 
on  account  of  the  anchor  sticking  fast  in  the  mud,  and  still  another 
through  lack  of  a  favorable  wind.  Finally,  on  the  eighth  day 
after  going  on  board,  the  brig  was  warped  through  the  crowded 
vessels,  and  took  the  first  of  the  ebb  tide,  with  a  light  breeze,  to 
run  out  of  the  harbor. 

I  went  on  deck,  in  the  misty  daybreak,  to  take  a  parting  look 
at  the  town  and  its  amphithcatric  hills.  As  I  turned  my  face 
shoreward,  a  little  spark  appeared  through  the  fog.  Suddenly  it 
shot  up  into  a  spiry  flame,  and  at  the  same  instant  I  heard  the 
sound  of  gongs,  bells  and  trumpets,  and  the  shouting  of  human 
voices.  The  calamity,  predicted  and  dreaded  so  long  in  advance, 
that  men  ceased  to  think  of  it,  had  come  at  last — San  Francisco 
was  on  fire !  The  blaze  increased  with  fearful  rapidity.  In 
fifteen  minutes,  it  had  risen  into  a  broad,  flickering  column,  mak 
ing  all  the  shore,  the  misty  air  arid  the  water  ruddy  as  with  another 


318  ELDORADO. 

sunrise.  The  sides  of  new  frame  houses,  scattered  through  the 
town,  tents  high  up  on  the  hills,  and  the  hulls  and  listless  sails  of 
vessels  in  the  bay,  gleamed  and  sparkled  in  the  thick  atmosphere. 
Meanwhile  the  roar  and  tumult  swelled,  and  above  the  clang  of 
gongs  and  the  cries  of  the  populace,  I  could  hear  the  crackling 
of  blazing  timbers,  and  the  smothered  sound  of  falling  roofs.  I 
climbed  into  the  rigging  and  watched  the  progress  of  the  confla 
gration.  As  the  flames  leaped  upon  a  new  dwelling,  there  was  a 
sudden  whirl  of  their  waving  volumes — an  embracing  of  the  frail 
walls  in  their  relentless  clasp — and,  a  second  afterwards,  from  roof 
and  rafter  and  foundation-beam  shot  upward  a  jet  of  fire,  steady  and 
intense  at  first,  but  surging  off  into  spiral  folds  and  streamers,  as 
the  timbers  were  parted  and  fell. 

For  more  than  hour,  while  we  were  tacking  in  the  channel 
between  Yerba  Buena  Island  and  the  anchorage,  there  was  no 
apparent  check  to  the  flames.  Before  passing  Fort  Montgomery, 
however,  we  heard  several  explosions  in  quick  succession,  and 
conjectured  that  vigorous  measures  had  been  taken  to  prevent 
further  destruction.  When  at  last,  with  a  fair  breeze  and  bright 
sky,  we  were  dashing  past  the  rock  of  Alcatraz,  the  red  column 
had  sunk  away  to  a  smouldering  blaze,  and  nothing  but  a  heavy 
canopy  of  smoke  remained  to  tell  the  extent  of  the  conflagration. 
The  Golden  Gate  was  again  before  us,  and  I  looked  through  its 
mountain-walls  on  the  rolling  Pacific,  with  full  as  pleasant  an 
excitement  as  I  had  looked  inwards,  four  months  before,  eager  to 
catch  the  first  glimpse  of  the  new  Eldorado. 

The  breeze  freshened,  the  swell  increased,  and  as  the  breakers 
of  the  entrance  receded  behind  us,  we  entered  the  rough  sea  left 
by  a  recent  gale.  In  trying  to  haul  close  to  the  wind,  the  captain 
discovered  that  the  rudder  was  broken.  Immediately  afterwards t 


WE    PUT    BACK    IN    DISTRESS. 


319 


there  was  a  cry  of  "  a  leak  !""  and  from  the  terror  on  the  faces  of 
the  mate  and  sailors,  I  thought  tha-t  nothing  less  than  a  dozen 
blankets  could  stop  the  opening.  The  pumps  were  rigged  in  haste, 
but  little  water  was  found  in  the  hold,  and  on  examination  it  ap 
peared  that  the  leak,  which  was  in  the  bow,  was  caused  by  the 
springing  apart  of  the  planking  from  a  violent  blow  on  the  rocks 
which  the  brig  had  received  a  short  time  previous.  The  captain 
decided  at  once  to  return,  much  to  our  disappointment,  as  the 
wind  was  fair  for  Mazatlan.  We  were  twenty  miles  from  the  en 
trance,  and  after  beating  up  until  next  morning  found  ourselves 
just  as  far  off  as  ever.  The  wind  continuing  fair,  the  captain  at 
length  listened  to  us,  and  turned  again  towards  Mazatlan.  A 
change  of  wind  again  changed  his  mind,  and  all  that  day  and  the 
nex:t  we  tacked  back  and  forth — sometimes  running  out  towards 
the  Farellones,  sometimes  close  under  the  lee  of  the  Punta  de  Los 
Reyes,  and  again  driven  down  the  coast  as  far,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  entrance  What  our  brig  gained  in  tacking,  she  lost  in  lee 
way,  and  as  the  rudder  hung  by  a  single  pintle,  she  minded  her 
helm  badly.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  we  were  becalmed, 
but  drifted  into  the  entrance  of  the  Gate  with  the  flood-tide,  in 
company  with  fifteen  vessels,  that  had  been  waiting  outside.  A 
light  southern  breeze  springing  up,  enabled  us  to  reach  the  an 
chorage  west  of  Clark's  Point  in  the  night ;  so  that  next  morning, 
after  landing  on  the  beach  and  walking  through  a  mile  of  deep 
toud,  I  was  once  more  in  San  Francisco. 

I  hastened  immediately  to  Portsmouth  Square,  the  scene  of  the 
conflagration.  All  its  eastern  front,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Delmonico  Restaurant  at  the  corner  of  Clay-st.  was  gone,  together 
with  the  entire  side  of  the  block,  on  Washington-st.  The  Eldo 
rado,  Parker  House,  Denison's  Exchange  and  the  United  States 


320  ELDORADO. 

Coffee  House — forming,  collectively,  the  great  rendezvous  of  th« 
city,  where  everybody  could  be  found  at  some  time  of  the  day — 
were  among  the  things  that  had  been.  The  fronts  of  the  Veran 
dah,  Aguila  de  Oro,  and  other  hells  on  Washington-st.  were 
blackened  and  charred  from  the  intense  heat  to  which  they  were 
subjected,  and  from  many  of  the  buildings  still  hung  the  blankets 
by  means  of  which  they  were  saved.  Three  days  only  had  elapsed 
since  the  fire,  yet  in  that  time  all  the  rubbish  had  been  cleared 
away,  and  the  frames  of  several  houses  were  half  raised.  All  over 
the  burnt  space  sounded  one  incessant  tumult  of  hammers,  axes 
and  saws.  In  one  week  after  the  fire,  the  Eldorado  and  Denison's 
Exchange  stood  completely  roofed  and  weatherboarded,  and  would 
soon  be  ready  for  occupation.  The  Parker  House  was  to  be  re 
built  of  brick,  and  the  timbers  of  the  basement  floor  were  already 
laid.  The  Exchange  had  been  contracted  for  at  $15,000,  to  be 
finished  in  two  weeks,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  $150  for  every 
additional  day.  In  three  weeks  from  the  date  of  the  fire,  it  was 
calculated  that  all  the  buildings  destroyed  would  be  replaced  by 
new  ones,  of  better  construction.  The  loss  by  the  conflagration 
was  estimated  at  $1,500,000 — an  immense  sum,  when  the  number 
and  character  of  the  buildings  destroyed,  is  considered.  This  did 
not  include  the  loss  in  a  business  way,  which  was  probably 
$500,000  more.  The  general  business  of  the  place,  however,  had 
not  been  injured.  The  smaller  gambling  hells  around  and  near 
Portsmouth  Square  were  doing  a  good  business,  now  that  the 
head-quarters  of  the  profession  were  destroyed. 

Notwithstanding  there  was  no  air  stirring  at  the  time,  the  pro 
gress  of  the  fire,  as  described  by  those  who  were  on  the  spot,  had 
something  terrific  in  its  character.  The  canvas  partitions  of  rooms 
shrivelled  away  like  paper  in  the  breath  of  the  flames,  and  the  dry, 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE    CONFLAGRATION 


321 


resinous  wood  of  the  outer  walls  radiated  a  heat  so  intense  thai 
houses  at  some  distance  were  obliged  to  be  kept  wet  to  prevent 
their  ignition.  Nothing  but  the  prompt  measures  of  the  city  au 
thorities  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  blankets  in  the  adjacent  stores, 
saved  all  the  lower  part  of  the  city  from  being  swept  away.  The 
houses  in  the  path  of  the  flames  were  either  blown  up  or  felled  like 
trees,  by  cutting  off  the  ground  timbers  with  axes,  and  pulling  over 
the  structure  with  ropes  fastened  to  the  roof.  The  Spanish 
merchants  on  Washington  street,  and  others  living  in  adobe 
houses  in  the  rear,  were  completely  stupified  by  the  danger,  and 
refused  to  have  their  buildings  blown  up.  No  one  listened  to 
them,  and  five  minutes  afterwards,  adobes,  timbers  and  merchan 
dize  went  into  the  air  together. 

A  very  few  persons,  out  of  the  thousands  present,  did  the  work 
of  arresting  the  flames.  At  the  time  of  the  most  extreme  danger, 
hundreds  of  idle  spectators  refused  to  lend  a  hand,  unless  they 
were  paid  enormous  wages.  One  of  the  principal  merchants,  I 
was  told,  offered  a  dollar  a  bucket  for  water,  and  made  use  of 
several  thousand  buckets  in  saving  his  property.  All  the  owners 
of  property  worked  incessantly,  and  were  aided  by  their  friends, 
but  at  least  five  thousand  spectators  stood  idle  in  the  plaza.  I 
hope  their  selfish  indifference  is  not  a  necessary  offshoot  of  society 
here.  It  is  not  to  be  disputed,  however,  that  constant  familiarity 
with  the  shifting  of  Fortune  between  her  farthest  extremes,  blunts 
very  much  the  sympathies  of  the  popular  heart. 

The  German  house  of  whom  I  had  obtained  a  passage  for  Maz- 
atlan,  was  burned  out,  but  the  supercargo  soon  discovered  its 
whereabouts.  A  committee  of  sea-captains,  appointed  to  ex 
amine  the  brigantine,  reported  that  she  could  be  made  ready  for 
sea  in  three  or  four  days.  Under  those  circumstance^,  t^he  own 


822  ELDORADO 

ers  refused  to  refund  more  than  half  the  passage-money,  which 
was  $75,  to  those  of  us  who  chose  to  leave  the  vessel.  My  time 
was  now  growing  precious,  and  I  had  no  doubt  the  three  days 
spoken  of  would  be  extended  to  as  many  weeks.  I  therefore  went 
to  the  office  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  where,  as  I 
expected,  every  ticket  had  been  taken  weeks  before,  and  neither 
love,  money  nor  entreaty  seemed  likely  to  procure  one.  Mr. 
Robinson,  the  Agent,  however,  with  a  prompt  kindness  I  shall  not 
soon  forget,  gave  me  a  passage  to  Mazatlan,  with  the  understand 
ing  that  I  would  have  no  berth  and  probably  little  sleeping-room. 
The  steamer  was  to  sail  on  the  first  of  January,  at  daybreak. 
After  coming  upon  my  friends  like  an  apparition — they  having 
supposed  me  to  be  far  out  at  sea — I  spent  two  days  on  shore, 
housed  up  from  rain  and  mud,  and  finally  took  a  boat  for  the 
steamer  on  the  last  evening  of  the  year  1849.  It  was  during  the 
prevalence  of  the  spring-tides,  and  no  boat  could  be  had  to  go 
from  the  Long  Wharf  to  the  anchorage  off  the  Rincon,  for  less 
than  $4.  I  had  two  oarsmen  for'  myself  and  blankets  ;  it  was 
near  the  middle  of  the  ebb-tide,  and  we  ran  inside  the  shelter  of 
the  point  till  we  were  abreast  of  the  steamer.  She  was  now  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant,  but  a  foaming,  raging  flood  was 
between  us.  Several  large  boats,  manned  by  four  and  six  oars 
men  were  struggling  in  the  midst  of  the  current,  and  borne  away 
in  spite  of  themselves.  One  of  my  men  was  discouraged,  and 
wanted  to  turn  back,  but  there  was  a  majority  against  him.  I 
took  good  hold  of  the  tiller-ropes,  the  men  stripped  to  their  flan 
nel  shirts,  planted  their  feet  firmly  against  the  ribs  of  the  boat, 
and  we  dashed  into  the  teeth  of  the  tide.  "We  were  thrown  and 
tossed  about  like  a  toy  ;  the  spray  flew  over  us,  and  the  strongest 
efforts  of  the  men  did  not  seem  to  move  us  an  inch.  After  half 


A    PULL    FOR    THE    STEAMER.  323 

an  hour  of  hard  work,  during  which  we  continually  lost  ground, 
we  came  alongside  of  a  vessel  and  made  fast.  At  least  a  dozen 
other  craft  could  be  seen  struggling  out  after  us,  but  they  all  fell 
away,  some  of  them  drifting  two  or  three  miles  before  they  could 
make  a  halt.  We  lay  for  nearly  two  hours,  waiting  for  the  height 
of  the  ebb  to  pass,  but  the  flood  still  foamed  and  rushed,  dashing 
against  the  prows  of  vessels  and  boiling  around  their  sterns,  with 
an  incessant  roar.  At  last,  another  boat  with  two  passengers 
came  down  upon  us  in  the  darkness  ;  we  joined  crews,  leaving  one 
of  the  boats  behind,  and  set  out  again  with  four  oars.  It  was 
pitchy  dark,  with  a  rain  dashing  in  our  faces.  We  kept  on,  to 
wards  the  light  of  the  steamer,  gaining  about  a  yard  a  minute,  till 
we  reached  her  lee  gangway. 

I  unrolled  my  blankets  and  put  in  a  preemption  claim  for  one 
end  of  the  cabin-table.  Several  other  berthless  persons  occupied 
the  benches  on  either  hand  and  the  iron  grating  below,  which 
printed  their  sides  like  a  checker-board  ;  and  so  we  passed  the  night. 
The  last  boat-loads  came  out  in  the  morning ;  the  parting  gun 
echoed  back  from  the  Island  of  Yerba  Buena  ;  the  paddles  moved  ; 
San  Francisco  slid  away  from  us,  and  the  Golden  Grate  opened 
again ;  the  swells  of  the  Pacific  rolled  forward  to  meet  us  ;  the 
coast  wheeled  around  and  fronted  our  larboard  side  ;  rain  and  fog 
were  behind  us,  and  a  speck  of  clear  blue  far  ahead — and  so  we 
sped  southward,  to  the  tropics,  and  homeward ! 

The  Oregon's  freight,  both  of  gold  and  passengers,  was  the 
most  important  which  had  ever  left  San  Francisco.  Of  the  for 
mer,  we  had  about  two  millions  of  dollars  on  board  ;  of  the  latter, 
the  Congressmen  and  Senators  elect,  Col.  Fremont,  Dr.  G-win, 
Gilbert  and  Wright,  together  with  a  score  of  the  prominent 
merchants  and  moneyed  men  of  San  Francisco,  and  several  officers 


324  ELDORADO. 

of  the  Army  and  Navy.  Mr.  Butler  King  was  returning  from 
his  survey  of  the  country ;  Major  Rucker,  whom  I  have  already 
mentioned  in  connection  will  the  overland  emigration,  and  Major 
Cross,  recently  from  Oregon,  were  also  on  board.  The  character 
of  our  little  community  was  very  different  from  that  which  came 
up  on  the  Panama ;  the  steamer  was  under  better  regulations,  and 
at  meal-time,  especially,  there  was  no  disgraceful  exhibition  of 
(for  want  of  a  better  word)  swinishness,  such  as  I  witnessed  on  the 
former  boat.  We  had  a  mild  and  spring-like  temperature  during 
the  trip,  and  blue  skies,  after  doubling  Cape  Conception. 

We  touched  at  Santa  Barbara  on  the  third  morning  out.  The 
night  had  been  foggy,  and  we  ran  astray  in  the  channel  between 
the  Island  of  Santa  Rosa  and  the  mainland,  making  the  coast  about 
twenty-five  miles  south  of  the  town.  I  did  not  regret  this,  as  it 
gave  me  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  point  where  the  Coast  Moun 
tains  come  down  to  the  sea,  forming  a  narrow  pass,  which  can  only 
be  traveled  at  low  tide,  between  the  precipice  and  the  surf.  It  is 
generally  known  as  the  Rincon,  or  Corner — a  common  Spanish 
term  for  the  jutting  end  of  a  mountain ;  in  a  Californian  ballad 
(written  before  seeing  the  country,)  I  had  made  it  the  scene  of  an 
imaginary  incident,  giving  the  name  of  Paso  del  Mar — the  Pass 
of  the  Sea — to  the  spot.  I  was  delighted  to  find  so  near  a  corre 
spondence  between  its  crags  of  black  rock,  its  breakers  and  reaches 
of  spray-wet  sand,  and  the  previous  picture  in  my  imagination. 
The  village  of  Santa  Barbara  is  charmingly  situated,  on  a  warm 
slope  above  the  roadstead,  down  to  which  stretch  its  fields  of  wheat 
and  barley.  Behind  it,  on  a  shelf  of  the  mountain,  stands  the 
Mission,  or  Episcopal  Residence  of  Santa  Barbara,  its  white 
arched  corridors  and  tall  square  towers  brightly  relieved  against  the 
pine  forests  in  the  distance.  Above  and  beyond  all,  the  Moun- 


VOYAGE    DOWN     THE    COAST.  325 

tain  of  Santa  Ynez  lifts  its  bold  and  sterile  ramparts,  like   an 
unscaleable  barrier  against  the  inland. 

We  lay-to  in  the  road  for  several  hours,  shipping  supplies.  The 
shore  was  so  near  that  we  could  watch  the  vaqueros,  as  they  gal 
loped  among  the  herds  and  flung  their  lariats  over  the  horns  of  the 
doomed  beeves.  An  immense  whale  lay  stranded  on  the  beach 
like  the  hull  of  some  unlucky  vessel.  As  we  steamed  down  the 
coast,  in  the  afternoon,  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  snowy 
range  which  divides  the  rich  vine-land  of  Los  Angeles  from  the 
Tulare  Plains.  At  daybreak  the  next  morning  we  were  in  the 
harbor  of  San  Diego,  which  was  little  changed  since  my  visit  in 
August ;  the  hills  were  somewhat  greener,  and  there  were  a  few 
more  tents  pitched  around  the  hide-houses.  Thence  away  and 
down  the  rugged  Peninsula — past  the  Bay  of  Sebastian  Viscaino, 
the  headland  of  San  Lorenzo  and  the  white  deserts  of  sand  that 
stretch  far  inland — around  the  jagged  pyramids  and  hollow  caverns 
of  Cape  San  Lucas — beyond  the  dioramic  glimpse  of  San  Jose,  and 
into  the  mouth  of  the  Californian  G-ulf,  where  we  were  struck  aback 
by  a  norther  that  strained  our  vessel's  sinews  and  troubled  the  sto 
machs  of  her  passengers.  The  next  morning  we  groped  about  in 
the  fog,  hearing  a  breaker  here  and  seeing  a  rock  there,  but  the 
captain  at  last  hit  upon  the  right  clue  and  ran  us  out  of  the 
maze  into  a  gush  of  dazzling  sunshine  and  tropic  heat,  which  lay 
upon  the  islands  and  palmy  shores  of  Mazatlan  Harbor. 


CHAPTER  XXXIL 

MAZATLAN. 

I  TOOK  leave  of  my  friends  and  mess-mates,  receiving  many 
gloomy  predictions  and  warnings  of  danger  from  the  most  of  them, 
and  went  ashore  with  the  captain,  in  the  ship's  boat.  The  water 
is  very  shallow,  from  within  a  mile  of  the  landing,  and  abounds 
with  rocks  which  rise  nearly  to  the  surface.  Two  of  these  are 
called  The  Turtles,  from  an  incident  which  is  told  at  the  expense 
of  an  officer  of  the  British  Navy.  He  had  just  reached  Mazatlan, 
and  on  his  first. visit  to  the  shore,  knowing  that  the  waters  con 
tained  turtle,  had  provided  himself  with  rope  and  harpoon,  and 
took  his  station  in  the  bow  of  the  boat.  The  men  rowed  for 
some  time  without  interruption,  but  suddenly,  at  a  whisper  from 
the  officer,  backed  their  oars  and  awaited  the  throw.  The  har 
poon  was  swung  quickly  to  give  it  impetus  ;  the  water  flew  as  it 
descended  ;  "  hit  !"  shouted  the  officer.  And  it  was  hit — so  hard 
that  the  harpoon  banged  back  again  from  the  round  face  of  the 
rock. 

We  landed  on  the  beach,  where  we  were  instantly  surrounded 
with  the  peons  of  the  Custom  House,  in  white  shirts  and  panta 
loons.  The  baggage  was  carried  under  the  portico  of  an  adobe 
house  opposite  the  landing,  where  it  was  watched  by  one  of  the 
officials.  Mr  Mott,  of  Mazatlan,  who  came  passenger  in  the  Ore- 


A    CHINESE    BONIFACE.  327 

gon,  was  well-known  to  all  the  authorities  of  the  place,  and  I 
found,  after  losing  much  time  in  getting  a  permit  to  have  my  lug 
gage  passed,  that  it  had  all  been  sent  to  his  house  without  ex 
amination.  My  next  care  was  to  find  a  lodging-place.  There  was 
the  meson,  a  sort  of  native  caravanserai;  the  Ballo  de  Oro, 
(Golden  Ball,)  a  tavern  after  the  Mexican  fashion,  which  is 
comfortless  enough  ;  and  finally  the  Fonda  de  Canton,  a  Chinese 
hotel,  kept  by  Luen-Sing,  one  of  the  most  portly  and  dignified  of 
all  the  Celestials.  His  broad  face,  nearly  equal  in,  circumference 
to  the  gong  which  Chin-Ling,  the  waiter,  beat  three  times  a  day 
at  the  door,  beamed  with  a  paternal  regard  for  his  customers. 
His  oblique  eyes,  in  spite  of  all  their  twinklings  after  the  main 
chance,  looked  a  good-natured  content,  and  his  capacious  girth 
spoke  too  well  of  fat  living  to  admit  of  a  doubt  about  the  quality 
of  his  table.  There  was  no  resisting  the  attractions  of  Luen- 
Sing's  hotel,  as  advertised  in  his  own  person,  and  thither,  accord 
ingly,  I  went. 

The  place  was  overrun  by  our  passengers,  who  nearly  exhausted 
the  supplies  of  eggs,  milk  and  vegetables  in  the  market.  The 
Fonda  de  Canton  was  thronged  ;  all  the  rooms  were  filled  with 
tables,  and  gay  groups,  like  children  enjoying  a  holiday,  were  clus 
tered  in  the  palm-shaded  court-yard.  Chin-Ling  could  not  half 
perform  the  commands  ;  he  was  called  from  every  side  and  scolded 
by  everybody,  but  nothing  could  relax  the  gravity  of  his  queer 
yellow  face.  The  sun  was  intensely  hot  until  near  evening,  and  I 
made  myself  quite  feverish  by  running  after  luggage,  permits  and 
passports.  I  was  not  sorry  when  the  gun  of  the  steamer,  at  dusk, 
signalized  her  departure,  and  I  was  left  to  the  company  and  hos 
pitalities  of  my  friend  Luen-Sing.  After  the  monte  players  had 
closed  their  bank  in  one  of  the  rooms  and  the  customers  had  with* 


328  ELDORADO. 

drawn,  Chin-Ling  carried  in  a  small  cot,  and  made  me  a  verj 
good  bed,  on  which  I  slept  nearly  as  soundly  as  if  it  had  been  soft 
plank. 

I  took  a  ramble  about  the  city  in  the  clear  coolness  of  the  morn 
ing.  Its  situation  is  very  peculiar  and  beautiful.  Built  at  the 
foot  of  a  bold  hill,  it  stands  on  the  neck  of  a  rocky,  volcanic  headland, 
fronting  the  sea  on  each  side,  so  that  part  of  the  city  looks  up  the 
Californian  Grulf  and  part  down  the  coast  towards  San  Bias.  The 
houses  are  stone,  of  a  white,  pink  or  cream-color,  with  heavy 
arched  entrances  and  cool  court-yards  within.  The  contrast  of 
their  clear,  bright  fronts,  with  the  feathery  tops  of  the  cocoa-palm, 
seen  under  a  dazzling  sky,  gives  the  city  a  rich  oriental  character, 
reminding  me  of  descriptions  of  Smyrna.  The  houses  are  mostly 
a  single  story  in  height,  but  in  the  principal  street  there  are  several 
magnificent  buildings  of  two  stories,  with  massive  cornices  and 
large  balconied  windows.  The  streets  are  clean  and  cheerful,  and 
the  principal  shops  are  as  large,  showy  and  tastefully  arranged  as 
those  of  Paris  or  New  York.  At  night,  especially,  when  they  are 
brilliantly  lighted  and  all  the  doors  and  windows  are  opened,  dis 
playing  the  gaudy  shawls,  scarfs  and  sarapes  within  ;  when  the 
whole  population  is  out  to  enjoy  the  pleasant  air,  the  men  in  their 
white  shirts  and  the  women  in  their  bewitching  rebosas  ;  when 
some  native  band  is  playing,  just  far  enough  distant  to  drown  the 
discordance  ;  when  the  paper  lanterns  of  the  fruit-venders  gleam 
at  every  corner,  and  the  aristocratic  sefioritas  smoke  their  paper 
cigars  in  the  balconies  above — Mazatlan  is  decidedly  the  gayest 
and  liveliest  little  city  on  the  Continent. 

But  I  was  speaking  of  my  morning  stroll.  The  sun  was  already 
shining  hotly  in  the  streets,  and  the  mellow  roar  of  the  surf  on  the 
northern  side  of  the  promontory  tempted  my  steps  in  that  direc- 


THE    ATMOSPHERE    OF    THE    CALIFORNIAN    GULF.  329 

tion.  I  threaded  the  narrow  alleys  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town, 
lined  with  cactus  hedges,  behind  which  stood  the  thatched  bamboo 
huts  of  the  natives,  exactly  similar  to  those  on  the  Isthmus 
Gangs  of  men,  naked  to  the  waist,  were  at  work,  carrying  on  their 
heads  large  faggots  of  dye-wood,  with  which  some  of  the  vessels  in 
the  harbor  were  being  freighted.  I  reached  a  shaded  cove  among 
the  rocks,  where  I  sat  and  looked  out  on  the  dark-blue  expanse 
of  the  Grulf.  The  air  was  as  transparent  as  crystal  and  the 
breakers  rolled  in  with  foam  and  delightful  freshness,  to  bathe  the 
shelly  sand  at  my  feet.  Three  craggy  islands  off  the  shore  looked 
to  be  within  gunshot,  owing  to  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere,  yet 
their  scarred  sides  and  ragged  crests  were  clothed  in  the  purple  of 
distance.  The  region  about  the  mouth  of  the  Grulf  of  California 
enjoys  an  unvarying  clearness  of  climate,  to  which  there  is  pro 
bably  no  parallel  on  the  earth.  At  Cape  San  Lucas,  the  rising 
and  setting  of  a  star  is  manifest  to  the  naked  eye.  Two  or  three 
years  frequently  pass  without  a  drop  of  rain.  There  is,  however, 
a  season  of  about  a  week's  duration,  occurring  in  some  of  the 
winter  months,  when  the  soil  is  kept  continually  moist  from  the 
atmosphere.  Not  a  cloud  is  to  be  seen  ;  the  sun  is  apparently  as 
bright  as  ever  ;  yet  a  fine,  gauzy  film  of  moisture  pervades  the  air, 
settles  gradually  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  and  performs  the  ser 
vice  of  rain. 

I  saw  an  interesting  picture  one  evening,  in  front  of  the  Theatre. 
A  large  band  was  stationed  near  the  door,  where  they  performed 
waltzes  and  polkas  in  excellent  style — an  idea  no  doubt  derived 
from  "  Scudder's  Balcony"  or  the  gambling-hells  of  San  Francisco. 
It  had  the  effect,  at  least,  to  draw  a  dense  crowd  of  the  lower 
orders  to  the  place,  and  increase  the  business  of  the  traders  in 
fruits  and  drinks.  A  military  band,  of  trumpets  alone,  marched 


S30  ELDORADO 

up  and  down  the  principal  street,  blowing  long  blasts  of  piercing 
sound  that  affected  one  like  the  shock  of  an  electro-galvanic  bat 
tery.  Soldiers  were  grouped  around  the  door  of  the  Theatre,  with 
stacked  arms,  and  the  tables  of  dealers  in  fruit  and  provisions  were 
ranged  along  the  walls.  Over  their  braziers  of  charcoal  simmered 
the  pans  of  manteca^  (lard.,)  near  which  stood  piles  of  tortillas  and 
dishes  of  fowl  mixed  with  chili  color ado ,  ready  to  be  served  up  at 
a  medio  the  plate.  Bundles  of  sugar-cane  were  heaped  upon  the 
ground,  and  oranges,  bananas,  and  other  fruits  spread  upon  mats 
beside  which  their  owners  sat.  There  were  tables  covered  with 
porous  earthern  jars,  containing  cool  and  refreshing  drinks  made 
of  orange  juice,  cocoa  milk,  barley  flour,  and  other  wholesome  in 
gredients. 

The  market-place  presents  a  most  picturesque  appearance, 
whether  by  day  or  night.  It  is  a  small  square,  on  the  steep  side 
of  the  hill,  reached  by  narrow  alleys,  in  which  are  to  be  found  all 
the  articles  most  in  demand  by  the  lower  classes — earthenware 
after  the  old  Aztec  fashion,  flaming  calicoes,  sarapes,  rebosas  and 
broad  Guayaquil  sombreros.  The  place  is  filled  with  square, 
umbrella-like  stands  or  canopies  of  palm-leaves,  under  which  are 
spread  on  the  ground  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  fruit  and  grain  that 
grow  in  the  vicinity,  to  be  had  at  low  prices.  Among  the  fruits  I 
noticed  a  plump  green  berry,  with  a  taste  like  a  strawberry  and 
gooseberry  combined  ;  they  were  called  by  the  natives,  arellanes. 
At  night,  the  square  was  lighted  by  flaring  lamps  or  torches  of 
gome  resinous  wood. 

The  proximity  of  California  had  increased  in  a  striking  manner 
the  growth  and  activity  of  Mazatlan.  Houses  were  going  up  in 
all  parts  of  the  towns,  and  the  prices  of  articles  in  the  shops  were 
little  below  the  San  Francisco  standard.  At  a  tailoring  establish- 


PREPARING    TO    START.  331 

ment  I  was  asked  $20  for  a  pair  of  Mexican  ealzoneros,  and  $25 
for  a  cloth  traveling  jacket— sums  entirely  above  my  reach.  I 
purchased  a  good  Panama  hat  for  $5,  and  retaining  my  suit  of 
corduroy  and  shirt  of  blue  flannel,  set  about  hunting  for  a  mule 
There  were  about  fifty  emigrants  in  the  place,  who  had  come  in  a 
few  days  previous,  from  Durango  ;  but  their  animals  had  all  been 
disposed  of  to  the  Mexican  traders,  at  very  low  prices.  I  was  di 
rected  to  the  meson ,  where  I  found  a  number  for  sale,  in  the  cor 
ral.  The  owners  offered  to  sell  me  a  caballo  sillado  (a  saddled 
and  bridled  horse)  for  $100,  or  a  tolerable  mule  for  $80,  but 
seemed  to  think  I  would  prefer  afrisone,  (an  American  horse,)  at 
$100,  unsaddled.  After  riding  a  number  of  mules  around  the 
corral,  I  made  choice  of  a  small  brown  one,  for  which  $45  was 
asked,  but  which  I  obtained  for  $30.  One  of  the  emigrants  sold 
me  his  saddle  and  bridle  for  $5  ;  I  added  a  good  lariat  and  blanket, 
and  was  thoroughly  equipped  for  the  journey. 

It  now  remained  to  have  my  passport  arranged,  for  which  the 
signature  of  the  President  of  the  City  Council  was  requisite.  After 
a  great  deal  of  search,  I  found  the  proper  place,  where  a  sort  of 
Alcalde,  who  was  settling  a  dispute  between  two  Indians,  wrote 
a  visto,  and  directed  me  to  call  on  the  President,  Don  Luis  Abioli. 
This  second  visit  cost  me  several  hours,  but  at  last  I  succeeded  in 
discovering  Don  Luis,  who  was  busily  engaged  behind  the  counter 
of  his  grocery  store,  in  a  little  building  near  the  market-place. 
He  stopped  weighing  sugar  to  affix  his  signature  to  the  passport, 
received  my  "  mil  gracias  /"  with  a  profound  bow  and  turned  again 
to  his  customers. 

The  emigrants  expressed  great  astonishment  at  my  fool-hardi 
ness,  as  they  termed  it,  in  undertaking  the  journey  through  to 
Vera  Cruz.  These  men,  some  of  whom  had  come  overland  from 


332  ELDORADO 

Chihuahua  and  some  from  Matamoras,  insisted  most  strenuously 
that  I  should  not  start  alone.  The  Mexicans,  they  said,  were 
robbers,  to  a  man  ;  one's  life,  even,  was  not  safe  among  them,  and 
their  bitter  hostility  to  Americans  would  subject  me  to  continual 
insult.  "  Would  you  believe  it  ?"  said  a  tall,  raw-boned  Yankee  ; 
"  they  actually  rocked  us  !"  This  gentle  proceeding,  I  found,  on 
further  inquiry,  had  been  occasioned  by  the  emigrants  breaking 
their  contract  with  their  guide.  I  therefore  determined  to  follow 
the  plan  I  had  adopted  in  California,  and  to  believe  nothing  that  I 
had  not  seen  with  my  own  eyes.  "  I've  traveled  in  the  country, 
and  I  know  all  about  it,"  was  the  remark  with  which  I  was  con 
stantly  greeted  ;  "  you'll  very  soon  find  that  I  was  right."  To 
escape  from  the  annoyance  of  these  counsels  and  warnings,  I  has 
tened  my  preparations,  and  was  ready  for  departure  on  the  second 
morning  after  my  arrival. 

Luen-Sing,  who  had  traveled  over  the  road  once,  as  far  as  Te- 
pic,  told  me  I  should  find  it  toilsome  but  safe.  The  Celestials 
assisted  me  in  packing  my  scanty  luggage  behind  the  saddle,  and 
enjoined  on  me  the  promise  of  patronizing  the  Fonda  de  Canton, 
when  I  returned  to  Mazatlan.  I  took  my  final  cup  of  chocolate 
on  the  old  table  in  the  corridor,  had  a  last  talk  with  Chin-Ling 
about  the  gold-diggings,  shook  hands  with  the  whole  yellow-faced, 
long-eyed  crew,  mounted  my  mule  and  started  up  the  main  street, 
in  the  breathless  heat  of  a  noonday  sun.  I  doubled  the  corner  of 
the  hill,  passing  the  Plaza  de  Toros,  (an  arena  for  bull-fights,) 
and  the  scattering  huts  of  the  suburbs,  till  I  reached  the  garita, 
near  the  sea.  Here,  an  officer  of  the  customs,  who  was  lounging  in 
the  shade,  pointed  out  the  road  to  the  old  Presidio  of  Mazatlan, 
which  I  took,  feeling  very  warm,  very  lonely  and  a  little  dispirited 
at  the  ride  of  twelve  hundred  miles  which  lay  before  me. 


CHAPTER  XXXI11. 

TRAVEL    IN    THE    TIERRA    CALIENTE. 

IT  was  a  cloudless  noon.  The  sun  burned  down  on  the  sand 
and  quivering  sea,  and  the  three  islands  in  the  Gulf  seemed  vitri 
fying  in  the  blue  heat  of  the  air.  Riding  slowly  down  to  the  arid 
level  of  a  dried-up  marsh,  over  which  my  path  lay,  I  met  an  arri- 
ero,  of  whom  I  asked  the  distance  to  the  Presidio.  "  No  llega, 
hoy,"  said  he  ;  "  la  mula  no  anda  nada  ;  es  muy  flojo. "  (You'll  not 
get  there  to-day  ;  your  mule  don't  go  at  all ;  "  he's  very  lazy.") 
My  heart  misgave  me  for  a  moment,  for  his  criticism  of  the  mule 
was  true  ;  but,  seeing  that  my  spur  had  as  yet  drawn  no  blood,  I 
broke  a  stick  from  the  thicket  and  belabored  him  with  hand  and 
foot.  I  passed  a  few  plantations,  with  fenced  fields,  near  the  town, 
and  afterwards  took  to  the  sandy  chapparal  near  the  sea. 

The  foliage  of  a  tropical  winter,  on  this  coast,  is  not  very  attrac 
tive.  There  is  a  season  when  the  growth  is  suspended — when  the 
bud  closes,  the  leaf  falls  and  the  bough  gathers  sap  for  a  long  time 
of  splendid  bloom.  Only  the  glossy  green  of  the  lemon,  mango 
and  sycamore  remains  ;  the  rest  of  the  wood  takes  a  grayish  cast 
from  its  many  half-clothed  boughs,  among  which  rise  the  strange, 
gloomy  pillars  of  the  cereus  giganteuSj  often  more  than  forty  feet 
in  height.  After  making  the  circuit  of  a  spacious  bay,  I  came  to 


834  ELDORADO. 

a  cluster  of  fishing  huts  on  the  shore,  about  three  leagues  from 
Mazatlan.  Beyond  the-se  the  road  turned  among  low  hills,  covered 
with  the  gray,  wintry  woods,  as  far  as  eye  could  reach.  Gaudy 
parrots  flew  screaming  among  the  boughs  ;  large  brown  birds,  with 
hooked  bills  sat  musing  by  the  road,  and  in  the  shady  spots,  I 
heard  the  tender  coo  of  the  dove— the  sweet  emblem  of  peace  and 
domestic  affection,  to  which  no  clime  is  alien — which  haunts  all 
lands  and  all  zones,  where  beats  the  human  heart  whose  softer 
emotions  it  typifies. 

I  was  toiling  along  in  the  heat,  torturing  my  conscience  as  much 
as  the  mule's  flanks,  when  a  couple  of  rancheros,  riding  behind 
me,  came  up  with  a  good-humored  greeting  and  proposed  joining 
company.  The  foremost,  a  merry  old  native,  of  mixed  blood, 
commenced  using  his  whip  on  my  mule's  back  and  I  soon  found 
that  the  latter  could  keep  up  a  sharp  trot  for  an  hour,  without 
trouble.  Thanks  to  my  self-constituted  mozo,  I  reached  the 
banks  of  the  Rio  Mazatlan,  opposite  the  Presidio,  two  hours  be 
fore  sunset.  The  old  man  invited  me  to  pass  the  night  at  his 
ranche,  which  was  near  to  hand,  and  I  willingly  complied.  He 
turned  his  own  beast  loose,  and  started  to  a  neighboring  ranche, 
for  an  armful  of  oja  (the  fodder  of  maize )  for  my  mule.  Mean 
while,  I  walked  down  to  the  river,  to  refresh  myself  with  a  bath. 
The  beauty  of  the  scene  kept  me  from  the  water  for  a  long  time. 
On  the  opposite  bank  the  old  walls  of  the  Presidio  towered  above 
the  trees ;  the  valley,  stretching  away  to  the  eastward,  to  a  far-off 
line  of  mountains,  out  of  a  notch  in  which  the  river  found  its 
way,  was  spotted  with  plantations  of  maize,  bananas  and  melons. 
The  rancheros  were  out  at  work,  ploughing  and  sowing  their 
grain.  The  fervor  of  the  day  was  over,  and  a  warm,  tempered 
light  was  poured  over  the  landscape.  As  I  lay,'  clasped  in  the 


TWILIGHT    CHAT,    AT    A    RANvDHE.  335 

soft-flowing  crystal  of  the  river,  the  thought  of  another  bath,  on 
that  very  day  four  years  before,  came  suddenly  into  my  mind.  It 
was  my  birth-day  ;  but  on  that  other  anniversary  I  had  baptized 
my  limbs  in  the  sparkling  surf  of  the  Mediterranean,  on  the  shore 
of  the  Roman  Campagna.  I  went  back  to  the  ranche  with  that 
sensation  of  half-pain,  half-joy,  which  we  feel  when  the  mind  and 
body  are  in  different  places. 

My  mule  was  fed  and  the  old  man  gave  me  a  dish  of  frijoles, 
with  three  tortillas  in  lieu  of  knife  and  fork.  Then  we  sat  down 
in  the  delicious  twilight,  amid  the  beautiful  repose  of  Nature,  and 
I  answered,  as  well  as  I  could,  the  questions  prompted  by  their 
simple  curiosity.  I  told  them  about  my  country  and  its  climate, 
aad  the  long  journey  I  must  yet  make  to  reach  it,  which  they 
heard  with  evident  interest  and  wonder.  They  were  anxious  to 
know  how  a  steamboat  could  move  against  the  wind,  for  they  had 
been  told  this  was  the  case,  by  their  friends  in  Mazatlan.  The 
nearest  idea  of  it  which  I  could  give  them,  was  by  describing  it  as 
a  sea-cart^  with  broad  wheels  rolling  on  the  water.  At  last  the 
twilight  deepened  into  night,  and  I  unrolled  my  blankets  to  make 
my  bed.  "  You  must  sleep  to-night  en  el  sereno,"  said  the  old 
man ;  and  a  beautiful,  star -lit  Sereno  it  was.  "  Ah,"  said  his 
wife,  "  what  fine  blankets  !  you  will  sleep  better  than  the  Arch 
bishop  !"  They  then  went  to  their  hammocks  in  the  hut,  and  I 
lay  down  on  the  earth,  thanking  God  that  the  dismal  forebodings 
which  accompanied  me  out  of  Mazatlan  had  been  so  happily  falsi 
fied. 

My  kind  host  asked  nothing  in  payment,  when  I  saddled  in  the 
morning,  but  I  insisted  on  giving  him  a  trifle.  "  Vaya  con 
Dios  /"  said  he,  as  we  shook  hands,  "  and  if  you  go  to  California, 
bring  me  a  little  piece  of  gold  when  you  come  back."  I  forded 


336  ELDORADO 

the  river  and  passed  through  old  Mazatlan — a  miserable  village 
of  huts  with  a  massive  presidio  and  church  in  ruins.  The  morn 
ing  was  fresh  and  cool,  and  the  road  lay  in  shade  for  several 
miles.  My  mule,  having  no  whip  behind  him,  was  as  lazy  as  ever 
and  made  me  the  subject  of  remark  from  all  the  natives  who 
passed.  A  ranchero,  carrying  an  escopette  and  three  live  turkeys 
slung  to  the  saddle,  before  him,  offered  his  horse  in  exchange.  I 
refused  to  trade,  but  an  hour  later,  met  an  arriero,  with  a  train  of 
horses,  laden  with  oja.  He  made  the  same  proposition  and  un 
loaded  the  mountainous  stack  under  which  one  of  his  horses  was 
buried,  that  I  might  try  him.  "Es  muy  caminador ,"  (a  great 
traveler,)  said  the  owner  ;  but  he  was  crooked-legged,  sore-backed 
and  terribly  thin  in  withers  and  flanks.  Looking  at  him  in  front, 
he  seemed  to  have  no  breadth  ;  he  was  like  a  horse  carved  out  of 
plank,  and  I  was  almost  afraid  to  mount,  for  fear  I  should  pull 
him  over.  Nevertheless,  he  started  off  briskly  ;  so  without  wast 
ing  words,  I  made  an  even  exchange.  Nothing  was  gained 
however,  in  point  of  dignity,  for  my  brisk  lean  horse  occasioned 
quite  as  many  remarks  as  my  fat  lazy  mule. 

Towards  noon  I  reached  a  little  village  called  Santa  Fe,  where 
I  got  a  breakfast  of  frijoles  and  chopped  sausage,  mixed  with  red- 
pepper — a  dish  called  chorisa — for  a  real.  The  country  T  passed 
was  hilly  and  barren,  with  a  range  of  broken  mountains  between 
me  and  the  sea.  Crossing  a  ridge  beyomd  Santa  Fe,  I  came  upon 
extensive  fields  of  aloes,  cultivated  for  the  vinous  drink  called 
mescal ,  which  is  made  of  their  juice.  In  the  midst  of  them  stood 
the  adobe  town  of  Agua  Caliente — a  neat  though  scattering  place, 
with  a  spacious  church.  I  journeyed  on  for  leagues  in  the  burn 
ing  sun,  over  scorched  hills,  without  water  or  refreshing  verdure. 
My  caminador,  too,  lost  the  little  spirit  he  had  displayed,  and 


EVENING    AT    A    POSADA.  337 

jogged  along  at  a  snail's  pace.  I  suffered  greatly  from  thirst  for 
several  hours,  till  I  reached  a  broad  arroyo  crossing  the  road, 
where  I  found  a  little  muddy  water  at  the  bottom  of  a  hole. 
Some  Indians  who  were  seated  in  the  shade,  near  a  sort  of  camp- 
fire,  put  me  on  the  right  trail  for  Potrerillos,  the  village  where  I 
expected  to  pass  the  night.  A  pleasantly  shaded  path  of  a  league 
took  me  thither  by  sunset. 

My  old  native  friend  on  the  Rio  Mazatlan  told  me  I  could 
stop  wherever  I  chose,  on  the  road  ;  no  ranchero  would  refuse  to  re 
ceive  me.  I  accordingly  rode  up  to  the  first  house,  and  inquired  ; 
"  Can  I  stay  here  to-night  ?"  "  Si  Senor^  was  the  ready  an 
swer.  The  place  was  small,  and  the  people  appeared  impoverished, 
so  I  asked  whether  there  was  a  posada  in  the  place.  "  Go  to  Don 
Ipolito,"  said  the  man ;  "  that  is  where  the  estranjcros  stay," 
Don  Ipolito  was  a  Frenchman,  who  had  an  adobe  hut  and  corral 
for  mules,  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  He  was  about  starting  for 
Mazatlan,  but  gave  directions  to  the  women  and  mozos  to  furnish 
me  with  supper,  and  my  horso  with  corn  and  oja.  His  instruc 
tions  were  promptly  obeyed ;  I  had  a  table  set  with  chorisa  and 
frijoles,  under  the  thatched  portico  ;  then  a  cup  of  black  coffee 
and  a  puro,  which  I  enjoyed  together,  while  trying  to  comprehend 
the  talk  of  a  very  pretty  girl  of  fifteen  and  a  handsome  young 
ranchero,  evidently  her  lover,  who  sat  near  me  on  a  low  adobe 
wall.  They  were  speaking  of  marriage — that  I  found  at  once ; 
but  another  ranchero — perhaps  a  rival  suitor — named  Pio,  formed 
their  principal  topic.  "  Es  sin  vergu'&nza,  Pio'1'1  (He's  a 
shameless  fellow,  that  Pio,)  was  frequently  repeated  by  both  of 
them. 

My  bed-time  was  not  long  in  coming.     A  boy  was  sent  into  the 

loft  of  the  hut  for  a  frame  made  of  woven  cane,  which  was  placed 
15 


338  ELDORADO. 

on  the  portico,  and  covered  with  a  coarse  matting.  I  threw  my 
blankets  on  it,  using  my  coat  for  a  pillow,  and  was  sound  asleep 
in  five  minutes.  Half  an  hour  might  have  elapsed,  when  I  was 
suddenly  aroused  by  a  sound  like  the  scream  of  a  hundred  fiends. 
The  frame  on  which  I  lay  was  rocked  to  and  fro,  and  came  near 
overturning  ;  I  sprang  up  in  alarm,  finding  iny  bed  in  the  midst  of 
a  black,  moving  mass,  from  which  came  the  horrid  sound.  It 
proved  to  be  a  legion  of  hogs,  who  had  scented  out  a  few  grains  of 
corn  in  a  basket  which  had  held  my  horse's  feed,  and  was  placed 
under  the  bed.  The  door  of  the  hut  opened,  and  the  hostess  ap 
peared  with  a  lamp.  At  sight  of  her,  the  beasts  gave  a  hasty 
grunt,  cleared  the  wall  at  one  bound,  and  disappeared.  "  Santa 
Maria!"  shrieked  the  woman;  "  son  demonios — son  hijos  del 
diablo  !  "  (they  are  demons — they  are  children  of  the  devil  !)  I 
feared  that  another  descent  upon  me  would  be  made  after  she  had 
gone  back  to  her  hammock;  but  I  was  not  molested  again. 

I  arose  in  the  morning,  fed  my  horse,  saddled,  and  was  off  by 
sunrise.  The  town  of  El  Rosario  was  but  four  leagues  distant, 
and  the  road  was  full  of  young  rancheros  in  their  holiday  dresses, 
riding  thither  to  mass.  Three  of  them  joined  company  with  me 
and  tried  to  sell  me  one  of  their  horses.  "  You'll  never  reach 
Tepic  with  that  horse,"  said  they,  "  look  at  ours  !"  and  away 
they  would  gallop  for  a  hundred  yards,  stopping  with  one  bound, 
to  wait  for  my  slew-paced  caminador.  They  drew  out  their 
tobacco  and  tinder-boxes,  as  we  rods  along ;  one  of  them,  a  spruce 
young  fellow,  with  a  green  silk  sash  around  his  waist,  rolled  his 
cigarito  in  corn-husk,  smoked  about  one  third  of  it  and  presented 
me  with  the  remainder,  that  I  might  see  how  much  better  it 
tasted  than  paper.  The  flavor  was  indeed  mild  and  delightful  ;  I 
puffed  away  an  inch  of  it,  and  then  returned  him  the  stump.  A 


A    BREAKFAST    AT    ELROSARIO.  339 

nuked  boy,  basking  in  the  sun  at  the  door  of  a  hut,  called  out 
"  YanJd  I  "  as  I  passed. 

El  Rosario  is  built  on  a  beautiful  site,  in  a  broad  valley,  sur- 
-ounded  by  blue  and  jagged  peaks.  It  has  several  streets  of 
spacious  stone  houses,  for  the  most  part  ruined,  and  a  church  with1 
a  fine  stone  tower  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  I  had  to 
cross  the  plaza,  which  was  filled  with  the  rancheros  of  the  neigh 
borhood,  waiting  for  the  hour  of  mass  ;  my  caminador  was  the 
subject  of  general  notice,  and  I  was  truly  rejoiced  when  I  had 
hidden  his  raw  bones  from  sight  in  the  court-yard  of  a  fonda. 
The  house  was  kept  by  a  good-natured  old  lady,  and  three  large 
parrots,  who,  (the  parrots)  sat  each  on  a  different  perch,  contin 
ually  repeating  :  "  chiquito  perriquito,  bonito,  blanquito  !" — the 
only  phrase  I  ever  heard  a  Mexican  parrot  utter,  and  which  may 
be  thus  translated  :  "  very  little,  pretty  little,  white-little  par- 
rotling  !"  I  ate  my  breakfast  of  beans  and  red-peppers,  chatting 
the  while  with  the  old  lady,  who  was  loud  in  her  praises  of  Tepic, 
whither  I  told  her  I  was  bound.  "  Es  mi  pais,"  said  she,  "  esun 
pais  precioso."  She  scolded  me  good-humoredly  at  starting,  for 
having  left  my  horse  where  he  might  have  been  stolen,  and  bade 
me  beware  of  the  robbers  ;  but,  thought  I,  who  would  take  such  a 
horse  ? 

Crossing  the  rivar  of  Rosario,  I  took  a  path  embowered  in  green 
thickets,  through  which  glided  multitudes  of  macaws  and  tufted 
birds  of  gay  plumage.  At  noon  I  came  into  a  lovely  valley  among 
the  mountains,  and  followed  a  stream  shaded  by  splendid  syca 
mores  and  palms.  Little  patches  of  meadow  land  slept  like  still 
lakes  among  the  woods,  with  thatched  ranches  spotting  their 
shores  I  rode  up  to  one  of  these  for  a  drink  of  water,  which  an 
old  man  brought  me  in  a  calabash,  standing  bare-headed  till  I  had 


340  ELDORADO. 

finished  drinking.  The  trails  soon  after  scattered,  and  I  found 
that  I  had  lost  the  main  road.  In  this  emergency  I  met  a  ran 
chero,  who  told  me  I  had  wandered  far  from  the  right  track,  but 
that  he  would  act  as  guide.  I  promised  him  a  reward,  if  he  would 
accompany  me,  whereupon  he  ran  to  his  hut  for  a  lariat,  caught  a 
horse  and  sprang  on  his  unsaddled  back.  We  rode  for  more  than 
two  hours  in  a  foot-path  through  the  depths  of  the  tangled  forest, 
before  striking  the  road.  The  impervious  screen  of  foliage  above 
our  heads  kept  off  the  sun  and  turned  the  daylight  into  an  emerald 
gloom.  Taking  leave  of  my  guide,  I  emerged  from  these  lonely 
and  enchanting  shades  upon  the  burnt  upland,  where  the  tall  fan- 
palms  rustled  drearily  in  the  hot  wind.  As  the  afternoon  wore 
away,  another  green  level  of  billowy  foliage  appeared  ahead  ;  the 
bills  lay  behind  me,  and  far  away  to  the  right  I  saw  the  sea-blink 
along  the  edges  of  the  sky. 

Notwithstanding  the  unsurpassed  fertility  of  soil  and  genial 
character  of  climate,  this  region  is  very  scantily  settled,  except  in 
the  broad  river-bottoms  opening  towards  the  sea.  There,  under 
the  influence  of  a  perpetual  summer,  the  native  race  becomes  in 
dolent  and  careless  of  the  future.  Nature  does  everything  for 
them  ;  a  small  patch  of  soil  will  produce  enough  maize  and  bananas 
for  a  family,  with  which,  and  the  eternal  frijoles,  they  have  abun 
dance  for  life's  wants.  The  saplings  of  the  woods  furnish  them 
with  posts,  rafters  and  ridge-poles,  the  palm  and  the  cane  with 
thatch  and  bedding.  They  are  exempt  from  all  trouble  as  to 
their  subsistence  ;  the  blue  ramparts  of  the  Sierra  Madre  on  one 
side,  and  the  silver  streak  of  the  sea  on  the  other,  enclose  their 
world  They  grow  up  lithe  and  agile  in  the  free  air,  mate,  wax 
old  and  die,  making  never  a  step  out  of  the  blind  though  contented 
round  which  their  fathers  walked  before  them.  I  do  not  believe 


THE    HOSTESS    OF    A    MESON.  341 

that  a  more  docile  or  kindly-disposed  people  exists  than  these 
rancheros.  In  all  my  intercourse  with  them  I  was  treated  with 
unvarying  honesty,  and  with  a  hospitality  as  sincere  as  it  was 
courteous  and  respectful.  During  all  my  travels  in  the  Tierra 
Caliente,  I  was  never  imposed  upon  as  a  stranger  nor  insulted  as 
an  American. 

My  resting-place  the  third  night  was  the  village  of  Escuinapa., 
where  I  found  a  meson,  kept,  or  at  least  managed  by  a  lady  whose 
kindness  and  cheerfulness  were  exactly  in  proportion  to  her  size  ; 
that  is,  they  were  about  as  broad  as  they  were  long.  She  was  a  fast 
friend  of  the  Americans,  and  spoke  with  rapture  of  the  promptness 
with  which  all  the  emigrants  whom  she  had  entertained,  had  paid 
their  bills.  Her  own  countrymen,  she  said,  were  slippery  cus 
tomers  ;  they  frequently  ran  off  without  paying  a  claco.  She 
talked  of  going  to  California  ;  she  thought  if  she  were  to  establish 
a  meson  in  the  diggings,  all  the  emigrants  who  had  passed  through 
Escuinapa  would  patronize  her.  "  They  are  all  good  people, 'f 
said  she  ;  "  I  like  them  as  well  as  if  they  were  my  brothers,  and  1 
am  sure  they  would  come  to  visit  me."  An  old  man,  who  seemed 
to  be  her  husband,  sat  swinging  in  the  hammock,  lifting  his  feel 
high  enough  that  his  blue  velvet  calzoneros  should  not  be  soiled  on 
the  floor.  I  had  an  excellent  dinner  of  eggs,  fish  and  chocolate) 
finishing  with  a  delicate  dgarito  which  the  corpulent  hostess  pre 
pared  for  me.  Two  or  three  Mexican  travelers  arrived  for  the 
night  and  took  possession  of  the  cane  bed-frame  and  benches  in  the 
room,  leaving  me  only  the  cold  adobe  floor.  "  "Will  you  take  out 
your  saddle  and  bridle  ?"  requested  the  old  lady  ;  "  los  senorn 
are  going  to  sleep  here."  "  But  where  am  I  to  sleep  ?"  I  asked 
"  Con  mi  go  /"  was  the  immediate  answer.  "  Como  ?r  said  I, 
surprised  and  alarmed  ;  I  was  horror-struck  and  must  have  looked 


342  ELDORADO. 

so,  for  she  seemed  amused  at  my  bewilderment.  "  Come  !"  she 
replied,  and  took  up  the  lamp.  I  shouldered  the  saddle,  and  fol 
lowed  to  a  dark,  windowless  closet,  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  It 
was  just  large  enough  to  hold  two  frames,  covered  with  matting, 
and  some  bags  of  maize  and  barley.  u  This  is  your  bed,"  said  she, 
pointing  to  ono  of  them,  "  and  this  is  ours.  I  hope  you  do  not 
object  to  our  sleeping  in  the  same  room."  I  laid  my  saddle  on 
the  frame  indicated,  put  my  head  on  it,  and  slept  soundly  till  the 
early  dawn  shone  through  the  cracks  of  the  door. 

Leaving  Escuinapa,  a  day's  journey  of  fifty  miles  lay  before  me, 
through  an  uninhabited  country.  I  doubted  the  powers  of  my 
caminador,  but  determined  to  let  him  have  a  fair  trial ;  so  I  gave 
him  a  good  feed  of  corn,  drank  a  cup  of  chocolate,  slung  a  pine 
apple  to  my  saddle-bow,  and  rode  out  of  the  village  in  the  morning 
dusk.  At  first  the  trail  led  through  pleasant  woods,  with  here  and 
there  a  ranche,  but  diverging  more  and  more  to  the  east,  it  finally 
came  out  on  a  sandy  plain  bordering  the  leagues  of  salt  marsh  on 
the  side  towards  the  sea.  On  the  left  the  mountain  chain  of  the 
Sierra  Madre  rose  high  and  abrupt,  showing  in  its  natural  but 
tresses  and  ramparts  of  rock  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  peaks  of 
the  Gila  country.  A  spur  of  the  chain  ran  out  towards  the  sea, 
far  in  front,  like  the  headland  of  a  bay.  The  wide  extent  of  salt 
marsh  reaching  from  near  El  Rosario  to  La  Bayona — a  distance 
of  seventy-five  miles,  showed  the  same  recession  of  the  Pacific,  as 
[  had  already  observed  at  Panama  and  Monterey.  The  ancient 
sea-margins  may  still  be  traced  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains. 

I  jogged  steadily  onward  from  sunrise  till  blazing  noon,  when, 
having  accomplished  about  half  the  journey,  I  stopped  under  a 
palm-tree  and  let  my  horse  crop  a  little  grass,  while  I  refreshed 
myself  with  the  pine-apple.  Not  far  off  there  was  a  single  ranche, 


RIDE    TO    LA    BAYONA-  343 

called  Piedra  Grorda — a  forlorn-looking  place,  where  one  cannot 
remain  long  without  being  tortured  by  the  sand-flies.  Beyond  it, 
there  is  a  natural  dome  of  rock,  twice  the  size  of  St.  Peters,  cap 
ping  an  isolated  mountain.  The  broad  intervals  of  meadow  be 
tween  the  wastes  of  sand  were  covered  with  groves  of  the  beautiful 
fan-palm,  lifting  their  tufted  tops  against  the  pale  violet  of  the 
distant  mountains.  In  lightness,  grace  and  exquisite  symmetry, 
the  Palm  is  a  perfect  type  of  the  rare  and  sensuous  expression  of 
Beauty  in  the  South.  The  first  sight  of  the  tree  had  nearly 
charmed  me  into  disloyalty  to  my  native  Pine  ;  but  when  the 
wind  blew,  and  I  heard  the  sharp,  dry,  metallic  rustle  of  its  leaves, 
I  retained  the  old  allegiance.  The  truest  interpreter  of  Beauty  is 
in  the  voice,  and  no  tree  has  a  voice  like  the  Pine,  modulated  to 
a  rythmic  accord  with  the  subtlest  flow  of  Fancy,  touched  with  a 
human  sympathy  for  the  expression  of  Hope  and  Love  and  Sor 
row,  and  sounding  in  an  awful  undertone,  to  the  darkest  excess 
of  Passion. 

Making  the  circuit  of  the  bay,  the  road  finally  doubled  the  last 
mountain-cape,  and  plunged  into  dark  green  thickets,  fragrant 
with  blossoms.  I  pushed  on  hour  after  hour,  the  pace  of  my  cam- 
inador  gradually  becoming  slower,  and  sunset  approached  without 
any  sign  of  a  Bayona's  hold."  Two  Indians,  mounted  on  small 
horses,  came  down  by  a  winding  trail  from  the  hills,  and  rode  a 
little  in  advance  of  me.  "  No  tiene  uste  miedo  dt  viajar  solo  ?" 
(Are  you  not  afraid  to  travel  alone  ?)  said  one  of  them.  "  What 
should  I  be  afraid  of  ?"  I  asked  in  return.  "  The  robbers."  "  I 
should  like  to  see  them  ;"  I  said.  "  Tiene  mucho  valor  f 
remarked  one  to  the  other.  They  then  spoke  of  my  tired  horse, 
and  looked  admiringly  at  my  blankets,  asking  me  first  to  make  a 
gift  of  them,  then  to  sell  them,  and,  finally,  to  let  them  carry 


344  ELDORADO. 

them  behind  their  own  saddles.  I  refused  them  very  decidedly 
and  they  trotted  in  advance.  At  the  next  bend  of  the  road, 
however,  I  saw  through  the  trees  that  they  waited  till  I  nearly 
overtook  them,  when  they  slowly  moved  forward.  The  repetitior 
of  this  roused  my  suspicions ;  taking  off  a  heavy  pair  of  gloves,  ] 
pulled  out  my  pistol,  put  on  a  fresh  cap,  and  kept  it  in  my  right 
hand.  I  believe  they  must  have  been  watching  my  motions,  for 
instead  of  waiting  as  usual,  they  dashed  off  suddenly  at  a  gallop. 

The  sun  went  down  ;  the  twilight  faded,  and  the  column  of  the 
zodiacal  light  shortened  to  the  horizon,  as  I  walked  behind  my 
caminador,  looking  for  La  Bayona.  At  last  I  came  to  a  river, 
with  two  or  three  ranches  on  its  banks ;  in  front  of  them  was  a 
large  fire,  with  several  men  standing  about  it.  One  of  them 
offered  to  accompany  me  to  the  town,  which  was  near.  On  the 
way,  he  expatiated  on  the  great  number  of  rabbits  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  lamented  that  he  had  no  powder  to  shoot  them,  winding 
up  with  :  "  Perhaps,  Senor,  you  might  give  me  a  little  ;  you  can 
easily  buy  more  when  you  reach  Acaponeta."  I  poured  out  half 
the  contents  of  my  flask  into  a  corner  of  his  shirt,  which  he  held 
up  to  receive  it ;  he  then  pointed  out  the  fording-place,  and  I 
crossed  to  La  Bayona,  where  my  poor  horse  had  rest  and  good 
feed  after  his  hard  day's  journey.  There  was  a  dirty  little  m£son 
in  the  place,  a  bare  room.  In  which  was  given  me  for  two  reales, 
and  a  supper  of  tortillas  and  frijoles  for  a  medio  (6j  cents. ) 

The  landlord  and  one  of  his  friends  talked  with  me  a  long 
while  about  the  United  States.  "  Tell  me,"  said  the  latter,  "  is 
it  true  what  Don  Carlos,  an  American  that  was  here  last  spring, 
told  me — that  there  is  a  machine  in  your  country  in  which  you 
look  at  the  moon,  and  it  seems  to  be  twenty  feet  long?"  I 
assured  him  it  was  perfectly  true,  for  I  had  often  seen  the  moon 


MEXICAN    ANTICIPATIONS.  345 

in  it.  "  Is  it  also  true,"  he  continued,  "  that  in  the  United 
States  a  man  pays  only  one  dollar  a  year,  and  sends  all  his  chil 
dren  to  school  for  nothing  ? — and,  then,  when  they  have  gone 
twelve  years  to  school,  they  are  fit  for  any  business  ?  Ah,  how 
grand  that  is !  how  much  better  than  here !  Now,  I  do  not 
know  how  to  read  at  all.  Why  is  it  that  everything  is  so  fortunate 
in  the  United  States  ?"  "  Because,"  said  the  other,  "  it  is  a 
nation  muy  poderosa."  "I  have  heard  that  there  are  several 
millions  of  people  in  it."  "  That  is  true,"  rejoined  the  other, 
u  and  that  is  the  reason  why  all  the  Americans  we  see  are  so  much 
wiser  than  we  are."  I  was  deeply  interested  in  their  naive 
remarks.  In  fact,  not  only  here,  but  throughout  all  western 
Mexico,  I  found  none  of  the  hostility  to  Americans  which  had 
been  predicted  for  me,  but  on  the  reverse,  a  decided  partiality. 
In  speaking  of  us,  the  natives  exhibited  (and  I  say  it  not  with  any 
feeling  of  national  pride,)  the  liking  which  men  bear  to  their 
superiors.  They  acknowledged  our  greater  power  and  intelligence 
as  a  nation,  without  jealousy,  and  with  an  anticipation  rather  than 
a  fear,  that  our  rule  will  one  day  be  extended  over  them. 

The  next  morning  I  rode  to  Acaponeta,  four  leagues  distant,  by 
a  pleasant  road  over  low  hills.  The  scenery  was  highly  picturesque  , 
the  town  lies  in  the  lap  of  a  wide  valley,  nearly  encircled  by  moun 
tains  which  rise  one  above  another,  the  farthest  still  the  highest, 
like  the  seats  in  an  amphitheatre.  Their  sides  are  cloven  by 
tremendous  chasms  and  ravines,  whose  gloom  is  concealed  by  per 
petual  verdure,  but  the  walls  of  white  rock,  dropping  sheer  down 
many  hundreds  of  feet  from  the  summit,  stand  out  distinctly  in 
the  vaporless  atmosphere.  Except  the  church  and  a  few  low 
adobe  buildings  around  the  plaza,  Acaponeta  is  formed  entirely  of 
cane  huts.  I  stopped  at  the  Meson  del  Angel,  gave  a  basket  of 


346  ELDORADO. 

corn  to  my  horse,  and  ordered  eggs,  beefsteak,  and  chocolate  for 
breakfast.  The  cocinera  and  her  daughter  were  two  hours  in  pre 
paring  it,  and  meanwhile  I  sat  in  the  shade  of  an  orange  tree,  be 
side  a  cool  well  in  the  court-yard.  The  women  were  very  talka 
tive,  and  amused  themselves  greatly  with  my  bad  Spanish.  The 
daughter  was  preparing  a  quantity  of  empty  egg-shells  for  the 
Carnival,  by  filling  them  with  finely-minced  paper  of  different 
colors  and  sealing  the  ends  again.  In  order  to  show  me  how 
these  were  used,  they  bade  me  take  off  my  hat.  Each  then  took 
an  egg  and  approached  me,  saying,  "  tu  es  mi  lien  amorado," — 
at  the  same  time  breaking  the  shells  on  my  head.  My  hair  was 
completely  filled  with  their  many-colored  contents,  and  it  was 
several  days  before  it  was  clear  of  this  testimony  of  affection. 

I  crossed  another  large  river  at  Acaponeta,  and  went  on  through 
embowered  paths, 

**  Under  a  shade  perpetual,  which  never 
Ray  of  the  sun  let  in,  nor  moon. 

Gray  parrots  and  macaws  glanced  in  and  out  amid  the  cool  green 
shawdows  ;  lovely  vistas  opened  between  the  boughs  into  the  faery 
heart  of  the  wilderness ;  the  trees  were  laced  each  to  each,  by 
vines  each  more  luxuriant  than  themselves  ;  subtile  odors  pervaded 
the  air,  and  large,  yellow,  bell-shaped  flowers  swung  on  their  long 
stems  like  cups  of  gold,  tremulous  in  the  chance  rays  of  sunshine. 
Here  and  there,  along  the  ledges  of  the  mural  mountains  on  my 
left,  I  noted  the  smoke  of  Indian  camp-fires,  which,  as  night  ap 
proached,  sparkled  like  beacons.  I  intended  to  have  stopped  at 
a  ranche  called  San  Miguel,  but  passed  it  unknowingly,  and 
night  found  me  on  the  road.  A  friendly  ranchero  pointed  out  to 
me  a  path  which  led  to  a  hut,  but  I  soon  lost  it,  and  wandered 


ELEVATED    LODGINGS.  317 

about  at  random  on  the  dark  fenceless  meadows.  At  last  I  heard 
a  dog's  bark — the  sure  sign  of  habitation — and,  following  the 
sound,  came  to  a  small  ranche. 

I  was  at  once  given  permission  to  stay,  and  the  women  went  to 
work  on  the  tortillas  for  my  supper.  I  swung  off  my  fatigue  in  a 
hammock,  and  supped  by  starlight  on  the  food  of  the  Aztecs — the 
everlasting  tortilla,  which  is  a  most  nourishing  and  palatable  cake 
when  eaten  fresh  from  the  hot  stone  on  which  it  is  baked.  There 
were  several  dogs  about  the  ranche,  and  the  biggest  of  them 
showed  a  relentless  hostility  towards  me.  "  El  Chucho  don't  like 
you,"  said  the  ranchero  ;  "  he'll  bite  if  he  can  get  hold  of  you  ; 
you  had  better  climb  up  there  and  sleep,"  and  he  pointed  to  a 
sort  of  cane  platform  used  for  drying  fruit,  and  raised  on  poles 
about  twelve  feet  from  the  ground.  I  took  my  blankets,  climbed 
up  to  the  frail  couch,  and  lay  down  under  the  stars,  with  Taurus 
at  the  zenith.  El  Chucho  took  his  station  below  ;  as  often  as  I 
turned  on  my  airy  bed  during  the  night,  the  vile  beast  set  up  his 
howl  and  all  the  dog-herd  howled  in  concert. 

The  next  day  I  breakfasted  at  the  hacienda  of  Buena  Vista  and 
rode  about  six  leagues  further,  to  the  town  of  Rosa  Morada.  (The 
Violet  Rose.)  Just  before  reaching  the  place  I  caught  sight  of  a 
mountain  very  far  to  the  south,  and  recognized  its  outline  as  that 
of  the  Silla  de  San  Juan  (Saddle  of  St.  John,)  which  rises  be 
hind  the  roadstead  of  San  Bias.  This  was  a  welcome  sight, 
for  it  marked  the  first  step  of  my  ascent  to  the  Table-Land, 
was  growing  tired  of  the  Tierra  Caliente  ;  my  face  was  blistered 
with  the  heat,  and  my  skin  so  punctured  by  musquitos,  fleas,  sand- 
flies  and  venomous  bugs  that  I  resembled  a  patient  in  the  last 
stage  of  small-pox.  There  was  no  meson  in  Rosa  Morada,  but  a 
miserable  posada,  where  I  found  three  Frenchmen,  two  of  whom 


348  ELDORADO. 

were  fresh  from  Bordeaux  and  on  their  way  to  California.  They 
were  all  engaged  about  the  kitchen  fire,  concocting  their  dinner, 
which  they  invited  me  to  share  with  them.  The  materials  they 
picked  up  in  the  village  were  not  slighted  in  the  cooking,  for 
better  vermicelli  I  never  ate.  They  likewise  carried  their  beds 
with  them  and  stretched  their  cot-frames  on  the  airy  portico.  I 
lay  down  on  the  adobes  and  slept  "  like  a  brick." 

I  was  off  at  daylight,  riding  over  an  elevated  plain  towards  the 
Rio  Santiago.  Two  arrieros,  on  their  way  to  Tepic,  shared  their 
tortillas  with  me  and  proposed  we  should  join  company.  They 
stopped  two  hours  to  noon,  however,  and  I  left  them.  Urging 
forward  my  despairing  horse,  I  crossed  one  branch  of  the  river  at 
San  Pedro  and  reached  Santiago,  on  the  main  branch,  an  hour  be 
fore  sunset.  In  descending  to  the  Rio  Santiago — or,  more  pro 
perly,  the  Rio  Tololotlan,  its  ancient  'Aztec  apellation — I  came 
upon  plantations  of  bananas  and  plantains,  heavy  with  ripening 
fruit.  The  country  showed  signs  of  wealth  and  culture ;  the 
houses  were  large  and  well  built  and  the  fields  divided  by  strong 
fences  of  palm  logs.  All  up  and  down  the  broad  banks  of  the 
river  were  scattered  arrieros,  mules  and  rows  of  pack-saddles, 
while  half  a  dozen  large  canoes  were  plying  backwards  and  for 
wards  with  their  loads.  I  got  into  the  first  vacant  one  with  my 
saddle,  bridle  and  blankets,  taking  a  turn  of  the  lariat  round  my 
horse's  nose.  An  arriero  who  had  passed  me  the  day  previous, 
with  a  horse  as  worn-out  as  my  own,  was  the  other  passenger. 
The  river  is  about  sixty  yards  wide,  and  very  deep  and  swift.  Our 
horses  swam  bravely  behind  us,  and  I  believe  were  much  the  bet 
ter  for  the  bath. 

I  took  an  instant  liking  to  the  arriero  for  two  reasons  :  firstly, 
he  had  a  dark,  melancholy,  intellectual  eye  ;  secondly,  he  was  the 


A    NIGHT    OF    HORROR.  349 

only  traveler  I  saw  oil  the  road,  whose  horse  was  so  woeful  an 
animal  as  mine.  We  .  started  in  company,  and  soon  grew 
strongly  attached.  At  dusk,  we  reached  a  village  called  Las 
Yerritas.  The  inhabitants  were  all  gone  to  Tepic,  except  an  old 
man  and  a  little  boy  who  were  selling  oja  to  a  company  of  mule 
teers  squatted  around  a  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  street.  Nothing 
was  to  be  had  to  eat,  except  some  cheeses  which  one  of  the  latter 
carried  in  a  wicker  pack.  I  could  get  no  tortillas  for  money,  nor 
exactly  for  love,  but  compassion  helped  me.  The  wife  of  one  of 
the  men  came  quietly  to  me  as  I  sat  by  my  saddle,  and  slipping 
two  tortillas  into  my  hand,  said  in  a  whisper  :  "  now,  when  you 
buy  the  cheese,  you'll  have  something  to  eat  with  it."  With  a 
cheese  for  two  reals,  my  sworn  friend  and  I  made  a  hearty  supper. 
He  did  for  me  many  kind  little  offices,  with  a  sort  of  meek  fidelity, 
that  touched  me  exceedingly.  After  our  meal  was  finished,  he 
went  into  the  woods  and  brought  me  a  calabash  of  water,  standing 
uncovered  while  I  drank  it.  I  lay  upon  the  ground,  but  all  the 
fleas  in  the  village,  who  had  been  without  sustenance  for  two  days, 
pounced  in  upon  me  in  swarms.  Added  to  this,  every  exposed 
part  of  the  body  was  attacked  by  legions  of  musquitos,  so  that, 
with  such  enemies  without  and  within,  I  never  passed  a  more 
terrible  night 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE    ASCENT    TO    THE    TABLE-LAND 

I  WAS  lying  upon  my  back,  with  my  handkerchief  over  my  face, 
trying  to  imagine  that  I  was  asleep,  when  the  welcome  voice  of  the 
arriero  shouted  in  my  ear :  "  Ho  !  Placer o  !  up  and  saddle ! — the 
morning  is  coming  and  we  must  reach  Tepic  to-day."  We  fed 
our  horses  and  sat  on  the  ground  for  an  hour  before  the  first  streak 
of  dawn  appeared.  Three  or  four  leagues  of  travel  through  a 
rich  meadow-land  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  the  first  ascent  to  the 
table-land.  Our  horses  were  fast  failing,  and  we  got  off  to  walk 
up  the  stony  trail.  "  I  think  we  had  better  keep  very  close  to 
gether,"  said  my  friend  ;  u  these  woods  are  full  of  robbers,  and 
they  may  attack  us."  Our  path  was  fenced  in  by  thorny  thickets 
and  tall  clumps  of  cactus,  and  at  every  winding  we  were  careful 
to  have  our  arms  in  readiness.  We  climbed  the  first  long  ascent 
to  a  narrow  plain,  or  shelf,  from  which  we  ascended  again,  finding 
always  higher  ridges  above  us.  From  the  Abrevadero,  a  sort  of  inn 
or  hospice  standing  alone  in  the  woods,  the  hot,  low  country  we 
left  was  visible  nearly  as  far  as  Acaponeta  ;  to  one  going  to 
wards  Mazatlan,  its  dark-blue  level  might  easily  be  mistaken  for 
the  sea.  The  Silla  de  San  Juan  was  now  to  the  west  of  us,  and 
stood  nearly  five  thousand  feet  in  height.  From  the  top  of  every 


A    COMMERCIAL    TRANSACTION.  351 

successive  ridge  we  overlooked  a  great  extent  of  country,  broken 
and  cloven  in  all  downward  directions  by  the  agency  of  some  pre- 
Adamite  flood,  yet  inclosing  in  many  sheltered  valleys  and  basins 
spots  of  singular  fertility  and  beauty,  which  are  watered  through 
whole  year  from  the  cisterns  of  the  mountains.  It  was  truly,  as 
the  old  lady  at  El  Rosario  said,  "un  pais  precioso," 

We  reached  at  noon  a  village  called  El  Ingenio,  about  twelve 
leagues  from  Tepic.  It  lies  in  a  warm  valley  planted  with  ba 
nanas  and  sugar-cane  ;  the  mountain  streams  are  made  to  turn  a 
number  of  mills,  from  which  the  place  probably  derives  its  name. 
Here  the  road  from  San  Bias  runs  up  through  a  narrow  gorge 
and  joins  that  from  Mazatlan.  We  walked  behind  our  horses  all  the 
afternoon,  but  as  mine  held  out  best,  I  gradually  got  ahead  of  the 
arriero.  I  halted  several  times  for  him  to  come  up,  but  as  he  did 
not  appear,  I  thought  it  advisable  to  push  on  to  a  good  place  of 
rest.  My  caminador  had  touched  the  bottom  of  his  capability, 
and  another  day  would  have  broken  him  down  completely.  Never 
theless,  he  had  served  me  faithfully  and  performed  miracles,  con 
sidering  his  wasted  condition.  I  drove  him  forward  up  ra 
vines,  buried  in  foliage  and  fragrant  with  blossoms  ;  the  golden 
globes  of  the  oranges  spangled  the  "  embalmed  darkness,"  as 
twilight  settled  on  the  mountains.  Two  leagues  from  Tepic,  I 
reached  the  hacienda  of  La  Meca,  and  quartered  myself  for  the 
night.  One  of  the  rancheros  wished  to  purchase  my  horse,  and 
after  some  chaffering,  I  agreed  to  deliver  him  in  Tepic  for  four 
dollars  !  The  owner  of  the  hacienda,  on  learning  this,  was  greatly 
disappointed  that  I  had  not  bargained  with  him,  and  urged  me 
very  strongly  to  break  iny  word  and  sell  him  the  horse  for  three 
dollars  and  a  half !  I  told  him  I  would  not  sell  the  animal  for 


£52  ELDORADO. 

eight  dollars,  after  having  _-~*ae  a  bargain  ;  he  was  enraged  at  this 
but,  as  I  could  plainly  see,  respected  me  the  more  for  it. 

The  young  rancheros  belonging  to  the  hacienda  amused  them 
selves  very  much  at  my  expense.  A  demon  of  fun  seemed  to 
possess  them,  and  the  simple  sentences  in  my  Spanish  phrase-book 
excited  them  to  yells  of  laughter.  They  were  particularly  curious 
to  know  my  tastes  and  preferences,  and  on  learning  that  I  had 
never  drank  mescal^  invited  me  to  go  with  them  and  try  it.  We 
went  down  the  road  to  a  little  hut,  where  a  shelf  with  a  bottle  and 
two  glasses  upon  it  swinging  under  the  thatched  portico,  signified 
"  Liquor  for  Sale,"  to  the  passing  arrieros.  We  entered  and  sat 
down  among  the  family,  who  were  at  their  scanty  supper  of  rice 
and  tortillas.  The  poor  people  offered  me  their  own  plates  with 
a  most  genuine  unsophisticated  hospitality ;  the  rancheros  told 
them  whence  I  came,  and  they  seemed  anxious  to  learn  something 
about  my  country.  I  tasted  the  mescal^  which  is  stronger  than 
brandy,  and  has  a  pungent  oily  flavor  ;  I  should  think  its  effects 
most  pernicious  if  habitually  drank.  The  people  were  curious  to 
know  about  our  Free  School  System  of  which  they  had  heard  by 
some  means.  None  of  them  knew  how  to  read,  and  they  lamented 
most  bitterly  that  education  in  Mexico  was  so  difficult  for  their 
class.  I  was  deeply  touched  by  the  exclamation  of  an  old  man, 
whose  eyes  trembled  with  tears  as  he  spoke  :  "Ah,  how  beautiful 
a  thing  it  is  to  be  able  to  read  of  God  !"  then  adding,  in  a  softened 
tone,  as  if  speaking  to  himself :  "  but  I  cannot  read — I  cannot 
read."  I  found  many  such  persons  among  those  ignorant  ran 
cheros — men  who  were  conscious  of  their  inferiority  and  desired 
most  earnestly  to  be  enlightened  and  improved. 

Tepic  is  built  on  the  first  plateau  of  the  table-land,  and  about 
half-way  between  the  Silla  de  San  Juan  and  an  extinct  volcano 


TEPIC.  353 

called  San  Guenguey,  which  lifts  its  blackened  brow  high  into  the 
eastern  sky.  The  plain,  about  fifteen  miles  in  breadth,  is  for  the 
most  part  moist  meadow-land,  threaded  by  several  small  streams. 
The  city  is  girdled  by  pleasant  gardens  which  hide  everything 
from  view  on  approaching,  except  the  towers  and  dome  of  its 
cathedral.  It  is  a  solid  well-built  town  of  massive  adobe  houses 
mostly  of  one  story,  and  divided  by  streets  running  at  right  angles. 
The  general  aspect  of  the  place  is  dull  and  monotonous,  with  the 
exception  of  the  plaza,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
Mexico.  A  row  of  giant  plane-trees  runs  around  the  four  sides, 
shading  the  arched  corridors  of  stone  in  which  the  traders  display 
their  fruits,  trinkets,  and  articles  of  dress.  There  is  an  old  stone 
fountain  in  the  centre,  around  which,  under  canopies  of  grass-mat 
ting,  are  heaped  piles  of  yellow  bananas,  creamy  chirimoyas, 
oranges,  and  the  scarlet,  egg-like  fruit  of  the  Chinese  pomegranate. 
All  the  gayety  of  the  city  seems  to  concentrate  in  the  plaza,  and, 
indeed,  there  is  nothing  else  worth  the  traveler's  notice,  unless  he 
is  interested  in  manufactures — in  which  case  he  should  visit  the 
large  cotton  mills  of  Barren  and  Forbes  in  the  vicinity.  It 
is  mainly  through  these  mills  that  Topic  is  known  in  the  United 
States. 

I  had  been  directed  to  call  at  the  posada  of  Dona  Petra,  but  no 
one  seemed  to  know  the  lady.  Wandering  about  at  random  in 
the  streets,  I  asked  a  boy  to  conduct  me  to  some  meson.  As  I 
rode  along,  following  him,  a  group  of  tailors  sitting  at  a  street- 
corner,  sewing,  called  out :  "  Americano  !"  "  No  tiene  ustcd  cui- 
dadof  said  the  boy,  a  son  mal  criados"  (Don't  mind  them  ;  they 
have  bad  manners.)  I  followed  him  into  the  court-yard  of  a 
large  building,  where  I  was  received  by  the  patron,  who  gave  my 
done-over  horse  to  the  charge  of  the  mozo,  telling  me  I  was  just 


354  ELDORADO. 

in  time  for  breakfast.  My  name  was  suddenly  called  from  the 
opposite  corridor ;  I  turned  about  in  surprise,  and  recognised  the 
face  of  Mr.  Jones  of  Gruadalajara,  whom  I  had  met  in  Mazatlan 
He  had  likewise  just  arrived,  and  was  deep  in  the  midst  of  a 
tempting  salad  and  omelette,  where  I  soon  joined  him.  I  had 
been  in  the  house  but  a  few  minutes,  when  a  heavy  shower  began, 
and  continued  several  hours  without  cessation  ;  it  was  the  first  of 
the  cabanuelos,  a  week  of  rainy  weather,  which  comes  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  dry  season.  The  purchaser  of  my  horse  did  not  make 
his  appearance,  notwithstanding  I  was  ready  to  fulfil  my.  part  of 
the  bargain.  As  soon  as  the  rain  was  over,  I  went  the  round  of 
the  different  mesons,  to  procure  another  horse,  and  at  last  made 
choice  of  a  little  brown  mustang  that  paced  admirably,  giving  my 
caminador  and  twenty  dollars  for  him.  I  made  arrangements  to 
leave  Tepic  the  next  morning,  for  the  journey  from  Mazatlan  had 
cost  me  eight  days,  and  nine  hundred  miles  still  lay  between  me 
and  Vera  Cruz,  where  I  was  obliged  to  be  on  the  16th  of  Feb 
ruary. 

Leaving  the  meson  on  a  bright  Sunday  noon,  I  left  the  city  by 
the  Gruadalajara  road.  The  plaza  was  full  of  people,  all  in  spot 
less  holiday  dress  ;  a  part  of  the  exercises  were  performed  in  the 
portals  of  the  cathedral,  thus  turning  the  whole  square  into  a  place 
of  worship.  At  the  tingle  of  the  bell,  ten  thousand  persons  drop 
ped  on  their  knees,  repeating  their  aves  with  a  light,  murmuring 
sound,  that  chimed  pleasantly  with  the  bubbling  of  the  fountain. 
I  stopped  my  horse  and  took  off  my  sombrero  till  the  prayer  was 
over.  The  scenery  beyond  Tepic  is  very  picturesque  ;  the  road 
crosses  the  plateau  on  which  the  city  is  built,  and  rounds  the  foot 
of  San  Gruenguey,  whose  summit,  riven  into  deep  gulfs  between  its 
pinnacles  of  rock,  was  half-hidden  in  clouds  as  I  passed.  I  came 


SACRED    MYSTERIES.  355 

mi(j  a  pretty  valley,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  rugged  hills  ;  fields 
of  cane  and  rice  dotted  its  surface,  but  the  soil  was  much  less  fer 
tile  than  in  the  rich  bottoms  of  the  Tierra  Caliente. 

My  prieto — the  Mexican  term  for  a  dark-brown  horse — paced 
finely,  and  carried  me  to  the  village  of  San  Lionel,  ten  leagues 
from  Tepic,  two  hours  before  nightfall.  I  placed  him  securely  in 
the  coiral,  deposited  my  saddle  in  an  empty  room,  the  key  of  which, 
weighing  about  four  pounds,  was  given  into  my  possession  for  the 
time  being,  and  entered  the  kitchen.  I  found  the  entire  house 
hold  in  a  state  of  pleased  anticipation  ;  a  little  girl,  with  wings  of 
red  and  white  gauze,  and  hair  very  tightly  twisted  into  ropy  ring 
lets,  sat  on  a  chair  near  the  door.  In  the  middle  of  the  little 
plaza,  three  rancheros,  with  scarfs  of  crimson  and  white  silk  sus 
pended  from  their  shoulders  and  immense  tinsel  crowns  upon  their 
heads,  sat  motionless  on  their  horses,  whose  manes  and  tails  were 
studded  with  rosettes  of  different  colored  paper  and  streamers  of 
ribbons.  These  were,  as  I  soon  saw,  part  of  the  preparations  for 
a  sacred  dramatic  spectacle — a  representation,  sanctioned  by  the 
religious  teachers  of  the  people. 

Against  the  wing-wall  of  the  Hacienda  del  Mayo,  which  occu 
pied  one  end  of  the  plaza,  was  raised  a  platform,  on  which  stood  a 
table  covered  with  scarlet  cloth.  A  rude  bower  of  cane-leaves,  on 
one  end  of  the  platform,  represented  the  manger  of  Bethlehem  ; 
while  a  cord,  stretched  from  its  top  across  the  plaza  to  a  "hole  in 
the  front  of  the  church,  bore  a  large  tinsel  star,  suspended  by  a 
hole  in  its  centre.  There  was  quite  a  crowd  in  the  plaza,  and 
very  soon  a  procession  appeared,  coming  up  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  village.  The  three  kings  took  the  lead  ;  the  Virgin, 
mounted  on  an  ass  that  gloried  in  a  gilded  saddle  and  rose-be 
sprinkled  mane  and  tail,  followed  them,  led  by  the  angel ;  and 


356  ELDORADO. 

several  women,  with  curious  masks  of  paper,  brought  up  the  rear. 
Two  characters  of  the  harlequin  sort — one  with  a  dog's  head  on 
his  shoulders  and  the  other  a  bald-headed  friar,  with  a  huge  hat 
hanging  on  his  back — played  all  sorts  of  antics  for  the  diversion 
of  the  crowd.  After  making  the  circuit  of  the  plaza,  the  Virgin 
was  taken  to  the  platform,  and  entered  the  manger.  King  Herod 
took  his  seat  at  the  scarlet  table,  with  an  attendant  in  blue  coat 
and  red  sash,  whom  I  took  to  be  his  Prime  Minister.  The  three 
kings  remained  on  their  horses  in  front  of  the  church  ;  but  between 
them  and  the  platform,  under  the  string  on  which  the  star  was  to 
slide,  walked  two  men  in  long  white  robes  and  blue  hoods,  with 
parchment  folios  in  their  hands.  These  were  the  Wise  Men  of 
the  East,  as  one  might  readily  know  from  their  solemn  air,  and 
the  mysterious  glances  which  they  cast  towards  all  quarters  of  the 
heavens. 

In  a  little  while,  a  company  of  women  on  the  platform,  con 
cealed  behind  a  curtain,  sang  an  angelic  chorus  to  the  tune  of  "  0 
pescator  dell'onda."  At  the  proper,  moment,  the  Magi  turned 
towards  the  platform,  followed  by  the  star,  to  which  a  string  was  con 
veniently  attached,  that  it  might  be  slid  along  the  line.  The  three 
kings  followed  the  star  till  it  reached  the  manger,  when  they  dis 
mounted,  and  inquired  for  the  sovereign  whom  it  had  led  them  to 
visit.  They  were  invited  upon  the  platform  and  introduced  to 
Herod,  as  the  only  king ;  this  did  not  seem  to  satisfy  them,  and, 
after  some  conversation,  they  retired.  By  this  time  the  star  had 
receded  to  the  other  end  of  the  line,  and  commenced  moving  for 
ward  again,  they  following.  The  angel  called  them  into  the  man 
ger,  where,  upon  their  knees,  they  were  shown  a  small  wooden 
box,  supposed  to  contain  the  sacred  infant ;  they  then  retired, 
and  the  star  brought  them  back  no  more.  After  this  departure, 


THE    MASSACRE    OF    THE    INNOCENTS.  357 

King  Herod  declared  himself  greatly  confused  by  what  he  had 
witnessed,  and  was  very  much  afraid  this  newly-fbund  king  would 
weaken  his  power.  Upon  consultation  with  his  Prime  Minister, 
the  Massacre  of  the  Innocents  was  decided  upon,  as  the  only 
means  of  security. 

The  angel,  on  hearing  this,  gave  warning  to  the  Virgin,  who 
quickly  got  down  from  the  platform,  mounted  her  bespangled  don 
key  and  hurried  off.  Herod's  Prime  Minister  directed  all  the 
children  to  be  handed  up  for  execution.  A  boy,  in  a  ragged 
sarape,  was  caught  and  thrust  forward ;  the  Minister  took  him  by 
the  heels  in  spite  of  his  kicking,  and  held  his  head  on  the  table. 
The  little  brother  and  sister  of  the  boy,  thinking  he  was  really  to 
be  decapitated,  yelled  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  in  an  agony  of 
terror,  which  threw  the  crowd  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  King 
Herod  brought  down  his  sword  with  a  whack  on  the  table,  and  the 
Prime  Minister,  dipping  his  brush  into  a  pot  of  white  paint  which 
stood  before  him,  made  a  flaring  cross  on  the  boy's  face.  Seve 
ral  other  boys  were  caught  and  served  likewise  ;  and,  finally,  the 
two  harlequins,  whose  kicks  and  struggles  nearly  shook  down  the 
platform.  The  procession  then  went  off  up  the  hill,  followed  by 
the  whole  population  of  the  village.  All  the  evening  there  were  fan 
dangos  in  the  meson,  bonfires  and  rockets  on  the  plaza,  ringing  of 
balls,  and  high  mass  in  the  church,  with  the  accompaniment  of 
two  guitars,  tinkling  to  lively  polkas. 

I  left  San  Lionel  early  in  the  morning.  The  road,  leaving  the 
valley,  entered  the  defiles  of  the  mountains,  crossing  many  a  wild 
and  rocky  barranca.  (A  barranca  nearly  answers  to  the  idea  of 
our  word  "  gulley,"  but  is  on  a  deeper  and  grander  scale.)  A 
beautiful  species  of  pine  already  appeared,  but  in  the  warm  hollo wa 
small  plantations  of  bananas  still  flourished.  I  lost  sight  of  San 


358  ELDORADO. 

Guenguey,  and  after  two  hours  of  rough  travel,  came  out  on  a 
mountain  slope  overlooking  one  of  the  most  striking  landscapes  I 
ever  beheld.  In  front,  across  a  reach  of  high  table-land,  two 
lofty  volcanic  peaks  rose  far  above  the  rim  of  the  barren  hills.  To 
the  left,  away  towards  the  east,  extended  a  broad  and  lovely  valley, 
dotted  with  villages  and  the  green  shimmer  of  fields,  and  hemmed 
in  on  all  sides  by  mountains  that  touched  the  clouds.  These  lofty 
ranges — some  of  which  were  covered  with  trees  to  the  summit, 
and  some  bleak  and  stony,  despite  their  aerial  hue  of  purple — 
make  no  abrupt  transition  from  the  bed  of  the  valley :  on  the  con 
trary,  the  latter  seems  to  be  formed  by  the  gradual  flattening  of 
their  bases.  The  whole  scene  wore  a  distinct,  vaporless,  amethyst 
tint,  and  the  volcano  of  Zurubuco,  though  several  leagues  distant, 
showed  every  jag  in  the  cold  and  silent  lips  of  its  crater. 

I  rode  thirty  miles,  to  the  village  of  Santa  Ysabel,  before  break 
fasting,  and  still  had  twenty-one  miles  to  Ahuacatlan,  my  stopping- 
place  for  the  night.  My  road  led  down  the  beautiful  valley, 
between  fields  of  the  agave  amtricana.  Sunset  came  on  as  I 
reached  the  foot  of  Zurubuco,  and  struck  on  a  rocky  path  across  a 
projecting  spur.  Here  a  most  wonderful  region  opened  before  me* 
The  pleasant  valley  disappeared,  with  everything  that  reminded 
me  of  life,  and  I  was  surrounded,  as  far  as  the  vision  extended, 
with  the  black  waves  of  a  lava  sea.  It  was  terrible  as  the  gates 
of  Tartarus — a  wild,  inexorable  place,  with  no  gleam  of  light  on 
ts  chaotic  features.  The  road  was  hewn  with  difficulty  through 
the  surgy  crests  of  rock,  which  had  stiffened  to  adamant,  while 
tossing  in  their  most  tempestuous  rage.  The  only  thing  like 
vegetation,  was  a  tree  with  a  red  and  bloated  trunk,  the  bark  of 
which  peeled  off  in  shreds, — apparently  a  sort  of  vegetable  elephan 
tiasis,  as  disgusting  as  the  human  specimens  I  saw  on  the  Isthmus. 


CHILDISH    HOSTS A    VALLEY-PICTURE.  359 

I  passed  this  region  with  a  sensation  bordering  on  fear,  welcoming 
the  dusky  twilight  of  the  shaded  road  beyond,  and  the  bright  moon 
under  whose  rays  I  entered  Ahuacatlan. 

At  the  meson  I  found  no  one  but  the  hostess  and  her  two  littlo 
sons  ;  but  the  latter  attended  to  my  wants  with  a  childish  cour 
tesy,  and  gravity  withal,  which  were  charming.  The  little  fellows 
gave  me  the  key  to  a  room,  saw  my  prieto  properly  cared  for.  and 
then  sat  down  to  entertain  me  till  the  tortillas  were  made  and  the 
eggs  fried.  They  talked  with  much  naivete  and  a  wisdom  beyond 
their  years.  After  supper  they  escorted  me  to  my  room,  and  took 
leave  of  me  with :  "pasa  usU  muy  buena  tioche  /"  I  arose  in  the 
cloudless  dawn,  rode  through  the  gay,  spacious  plaza  of  the  village, 
crossed  another  barranca,  and  reached  Iztlan  in  time  for  break 
fast.  This  is  a  beautiful  place,  embosomed  in  gardens,  from  the 
midst  of  which  the  church  lifts  its  white  tower.  Beyond  Iztlan,  a 
delicious  valley-picture  lay  before  me.  The  dark  red  mountains, 
bristling  with  rock,  formed  nearly  an  even  circle,  inclosing  a  bowl 
about  ten  miles  in  diameter.  Further  down  their  sides,  the  plan 
tations  of  the  agave,  or  aloe,  made  a  belt  of  silvery  gray,  and  deep 
in  the  fertile  bosom  of  the  plain,  the  gardens  and  orange  groves, 
with  sparkling  glimpses  of  streams  between  the  black  loam,  freshly 
ploughed,  and  the  fields  of  young  cane,  of  a  pale  golden  green, 
basked  in  the  full  light  of  the  sun.  Far  off,  over  the  porphyry 
rim  of  the  basin,  a  serrated  volcanic  peak  stood  up  against  the 
stainless  blue  of  the  sky.  It  was  one  of  those  rare  chances  in 
nature,  when  scenery,  color,  climate,  and  the  sentiment  of  the 
spot,  are  in  entire  and  exquisite  harmony. 

Leaving  this  valley,  which  was  like  a  crystal  or  a  piece  of 
perfect  enamel,  buried  in  a  region  that  Nature  had  left  in  the 
rough,  I  climbed  a  barren  hill,  which  terminated  at  the  brink  oi 


360  ELDORADO. 

the  grand  Barranca — a  tremendous  chasm,  dividing  two  sections 
of  the  table-land.  Two  thousand  feet  below,  at  the  level  of  the 
Tierra  Caliente,  lay  a  strip  of  Eden-like  richness  and  beauty,  but 
the  mountains  which  walled  it  on  both  sides  were  dark,  sterile  and 
savage.  Those  opposite  to  me  rose  as  far  above  the  level  of  the 
ledge  on  which  I  stood,  as  their  bases  sank  below  it.  Their  ap 
pearance  was  indescribably  grand ;  for  the  most  perfect  and  sub 
lime  effect  of  a  mountain  is  to  be  had  neither  from  base  nor 
summit,  but  a  station  midway  between  the  two  and  separated  from 
it.  The  road  descending  to  Plan  de  Barranca,  a  little  village  at 
the  bottom  of  the  chasm,  is  built  with  great  labor  along  the  very 
verge  of  giddy  precipices,  or  notched  under  the  eaves  of  crags  which 
threaten  to  topple  down  upon  it.  The  ascent  of  the  opposite 
steep  is  effected  by  a  stony  trail,  barely  large  enough  for  two 
mules  to  pass,  up  the  side  of  a  wide  crevice  in  the  mountain-wall. 
Finally,  the  path  appears  to  fail ;  the  precipice  falls  sheer  on  one 
side  ;  the  bare  crag  rises  on  the  other.  But  a  sudden  twist 
around  the  corner  of  a  rock  reveals  a  narrow  cleft,  terminating  in 
the  lower  shelf  of  the  table-land  above.  Looking  back  after  I 
had  scaled  this,  an  atajo  of  mules  which  followed  me,  appeared 
to  be  emerging  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  The  road  crossing 
the  barranca  is  nearly  fifteen  miles  in  length.  Large  numbers  of 
workmen  are  engaged  in  completing  it  for  vehicles,  and  over  the 
deepest  chasm  a  bridge  is  being  constructed  by  the  State  of  Jalisco. 
Five  years,  however,  is  the  shortest  period  named  for  the  com 
pletion  of  the  work,  up  to  which  time  the  barranca  will  remain 
impassable  except  for  mules.  The  line  of  stages  to  Tepic,  which 
is  greatly  demanded  by  the  increase  of  travel,  cannot  therefore  be 
perfected  before  that  time  ;  but  Sefior  Zurutuza,  the  proprietor  of 
the  diligence  lines,  proposes  opening  a  communication  immediately, 


A    CHILL    LODGING.  8G1 

by  means  of  a  mule-post  across  the  barranca.  From  Tepic  to 
San  Bias  is  but  a  day's  journey,  so  that  the  chain  of  comfortable 
travel  will  then  reach  nearly  from  ocean  to  ocean. 

My  prieto  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  hard  hills  and  thin 
air  of  the  upper  region,  and  I  therefore  stopped  for  the  night  at 
the  inn  of  Mochitilte,  an  immense  building,  sitting  alone  like  a 
fortress  among  the  hills.  The  key  of  a  large,  cheerless  room, 
daubed  with  attempts  at  fresco  ornament,  was  given  to  me,  and  a 
supper  served  up  in  a  cold  and  gloomy  hall.  The  wind  blew  chill 
from  the  heights  on  either  side,  and  I  found  prieto^B  blanket  a 
welcome  addition  to  my  own,  in  the  matter  of  bedding. 


ia 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE    ROBBER    REGION. 

I  SLEPT  soundly  in  my  frescoed  chamber,  fed  prtito,  and  was 
off  by  sunrise.  The  road  ascended  the  valley  for  several  leagues, 
to  the  rim  of  the  table-land,  with  high,  barren  mountains  on  either 
hand.  Before  crossing  its  edge  I  turned  to  look  down  into  the 
basin  I  had  left.  A  few  streaks  of  dusky  green  varied  its  earthen 
hue ;  far  off,  in  its  very  bottom,  the  front  of  the  meson  of 
Mochitilte  shone  like  a  white  speck  in  the  sunrise,  and  the  blue 
walls  of  the  barranca  filled  up  the  farthest  perspective.  I  now 
entered  on  a  broad,  barren  plain,  bordered  by  stony  mountains 
and  holding  in  its  deepest  part  a  shallow  lake,  which  appeared  to 
be  fast  drying  in  the  sun.  The  scenery  strikingly  resembled  that 
of  some  parts  of  California,  towards  the  end  of  the  rainy  season. 

The  little  town  of  Magdalena,  where  I  breakfasted,  sits  beside 
the  lake,  at  the  foot  of  a  glen  through  which  the  road  again  enters 
the  hills.  The  waters  of  a  clear  stream  trickle  down  through  its 

O 

Streets  and  keep  green  the  gardens  of  splendid  orange-trees  which 
gleam  behind  the  gray  adobe  walls.  At  the  meson  I  gave  prieto 
a  sheaf  of  oja  and  two  hours'  rest  before  starting  for  the  town  of 
Tequila.  "  No  quiere  ustt  tomar  ausilio  ? — hay  muchos  ladrones 
en  el  camino  ;"  (Don't  you  want  a  guard  ? — the  road  i.s  full  of 


MEETING    A    CONDUCTA.  ,%3 

robbers,)  asked  the  vaquero  of  the  house.  "  Every  traveler,"  he 
continued,  "  takes  a  guard  as  far  as  Tequila,  for  which  he  pays 
each  man  a  dollar."  I  told  him  I  had  no  particular  fear  of  the 
robbers,  and  would  try  it  alone.  "  You  are  very  courageous,"  he 
remarked,  "  but  you  will  certainly  be  attacked  unless  you  take  me 
as  an  austtw." 

Soon  after  leaving  the  town  I  met  a  conducta  of  a  hundred 
soldiers,  escorting  about  fifty  specie-laden  mules.  The  officers 
were  finely  mounted,  but  the  men,  most  of  whom  had  broad, 
swarthy  Indian  faces,  trudged  along  in  the  dust.  Some  of  them 
greeted  me  with  :  "  Como  va,  paisano  ?"  some  with  "  How  do  you 
do  ?"  and  others  with  a  round  English  oath,  but  all  imagining, 
apparently,  that  they  had  made  the  same  salutation.  As  I  was 
passing,  a  tawny  individual,  riding  with  one  of  the  officers,  turned 
about  and  addressed  me  in  English.  He  was  an  American,  who 
had  been  several  years  in  the  country,  and  was  now  on  his  way  to 
California,  concerning  which  he  wanted  some  information.  Not 
withstanding  he  was  bound  to  San  Bias  and  had  all  his  funds  packed 
on  one  of  the  mules,  he  seemed  still  undecided  whether  to  embark 
for  San  Francisco,  and  like  most  of  the  other  emigrants  I  met, 
insisted  strongly  on  my  opinion  as  to  the  likelihood  of  his  success. 
The  road  now  entered  a  narrow  pass,  following  the  dry  bed  of  a 
stream,  whose  channel  was  worn  about  twenty  feet  deep  in  th 
earth.  Its  many  abrupt  twists  and  windings  afforded  unequalled 
chances  for  the  guerillas,  especially  as  the  pass  was  nearly  three 
leagues  in  length,  without  a  single  habitation  on  the  road.  My 
friend,  Lieutenant  Beale,  was  chased  by  a  party  of  robbers,  in  this 
very  place,  on  his  express  journey  across  Mexico,  in  the  summer 
of  1848.  I  did  not  meet  with  a  single  soul,  although  it  was  not 
later  than  the  middle  of  the  afternoon.  The  recent  passing  of  the 


364  ELDORADO. 

conducta  had  probably  frightened  the  robbers  away  from  the 
vicinity. 

After  riding  two  hours  in  the  hot  afternoon  sun,  which  shono 
down  into  the  pass,  a  sudden  turn  disclosed  to  me  a  startling 
change  of  scenery.  From  the  depths  of  the  scorched  hills,  I  came 
at  once  upon  the  edge  of  a  bluff,  several  hundred  feet  high,  down 
which  the  road  wound  in  a  steep  and  tortuous  descent.  Below 
and  before  me  extended  a  plain  of  twenty  miles  in  length,  entirely 
covered  with  fields  of  the  maguey.  At  my  very  feet  lay  the  city 
of  Tequila,  so  near  that  it  seemed  a  stone  might  be  thrown  upon 
the  square  towers  of  its  cathedral.  The  streets,  the  gardens,  the 
housetops  and  the  motley  groups  of  the  populace,  were  as  com 
pletely  unveiled  to  my  observation  as  if  Asmodeus  had  been  my 
traveling  companion.  Around  the  plain,  which  now  lay  basking 
in  the  mellow  light  of  the  low  sun,  ran  a  circle  of  mural  moun 
tains,  which,  high  and  blue  as  they  were,  sank  into  nothing  before 
the  stupendous  bulk  of  a  black  volcanic  peak  rising  behind  Tequila. 
The  whole  scene,  with  its  warm  empurpled  hues,  might  have 
served,  if  not  for  the  first  circle  of  Dante's  Paradise,  at  least  for 
that  part  of  Purgatory  which  lay  next  to  it. 

I  rode  down  into  the  city,  crossing  several  arroyos,  which  the 
floods  gathered  by  the  volcano  had  cut  deeper  into  the  plain.  At 
the  Meson  de  San  Jose — the  only  inn  in  the  place — I  found  a  large 
company  of  soldiers  quartered  for  the  night.  The  inner  patio  or 
courtyard,  with  its  stables,  well,  and  massive  trough  of  hewn  stone, 
was  appropriated  to  their  horses,  and  groups  of  swarthy  privates, 
in  dusty  blue  uniforms,  filled  the  corridors.  I  obtained  a  dark 
room  for  myself,  and  a  corner  of  one  of  the  stalls  for  prieto,  where 
I  was  obliged  to  watch  until  he  had  finished  his  corn,  and  keep  off 
his  military  aggressors.  The  women  were  all  absent,  and  I  pro- 


SUSPICIOUS    CIRCUMSTANCES.  365 

cured  a  few  tortillas  and  a  cup  of  pepper-sauce,  with  some  diffi 
culty.  The  place  looked  bleak  and  cheerless  after  dark,  and  for 
this  reason,  rather  than  its  cut-throat  reputation,  I  made  but  a 
single  stroll  to  the  plaza,  where  a  number  of  rancheros  sat  beside 
their  piles  of  fruit  and  grain,  in  the  light  of  smoky  torches,  hoisted 
on  poles.  The  meson  was  full  of  fleas,  who  seemed  to  relish  my 
blood  better  than  that  of  the  soldiers,  for  I  believe  they  all  paid 
me  a  visit  in  the  course  of  the  night. 

When  I  arose,  the  sun,  just  above  the  hills,  was  shining  down 
the  long  street  that  led  to  Guadalajara.  I  had  a  journey  of 
eighteen  leagues  to  make,  and  it  was  time  to  be  on  the  road  ;  so, 
without  feeding  my  horse,  I  saddled  and  rode  away.  A  little 
more  than  four  leagues  across  the  plain,  brought  me  to  the  town 
of  Amatitlan  ;  where,  at  a  miserable  mud  building,  dignified  by  the 
name  of  a  meson,  I  ordered  breakfast,  and  a  mano  de  oja  for  my 
horse.  There  was  none  in  the  house,  but  one  of  the  neighbors 
began  shelling  a  quantity  of  the  ripe  ears.  When  I  came  to  pay, 
I  gave  her  a  Mexican  dollar,  which  she  soon  brought  back,  saying 
that  it  had  been  pronounced  counterfeit  at  a  tienda,  or  shop,  across 
the  way.  I  then  gave  her  another,  which  she  returned,  with  the 
same  story,  after  which  I  gave  her  a  third,  saying  she  must  change 
it,  for  I  would  give  her  no  more.  The  affairs  of  a  few  hours 
later  caused  me  to  remember  and  understand  the  meaning  of  this 
little  circumstance.  At  the  tienda,  a  number  of  fellows  in  greasy 
sarapes  were  grouped,  drinking  mescal,  which  they  offered  me.  I 
refused  to  join  them  :  "  es  la  ultima  vez,"  (it  is  the  last  time,,) 
said  one  of  them,  though  what  he  meant,  I  did  not  then  know. 

It  was  about  ten  in  the  forenoon  when  I  left  Amatitlan.  The 
road  entered  on  a  lonely  range  of  hills,  the  pedestal  of  an  abrupt 
spur  standing  out  from  the  side  of  the  volcano.  The  soil  was 


36G  ELDORADO. 

covered  with  stunted  shrubs  and  a  growth  of  long  yellow  grass. 
I  coirld  see  the  way  for  half  a  league  before  and  behind ;  there 
was  no  one  in  sight — not  even  a  boy-arriero,  with  his  two  or  three 
donkeys.  I  rode  leisurely  along,  looking  down  into  a  deep  ravine 
on  my  right  and  thinking  to  myself;  "  that  is  an  excellent  place 
for  robbers  to  lie  in  wait ;  I  think  I  had  better  load  my  pistol" — 
which  I  had  fired  off  just  before  reaching  Tequila.  Scarcely  had 
this  thought  passed  through  my  mind,  when  a  little  bush  beside 
the  road  seemed  to  rise  up  ;  I  turned  suddenly,  and,  in  a  breath, 
the  two  barrels  of  a  musket  were  before  me,  so  near  and  surely 
aimed,  that  I  could  almost  see  the  bullets  at  the  bottom.  The 
weapon  was  held  by  a  ferocious-looking  native,  dressed  in  a  pink 
calico  shirt  and  white  pantaloons  ;  on  the  other  side  of  me  stood 
a  second,  covering  me  with  another  double-barreled  musket,  and 
a  little  in  the  rear,  appeared  a  third.  I  had  walked  like  an  un 
suspecting  mouse,  into  the  very  teeth  of  the  trap  laid  for  me. 

"  Down  with  your  pistols  !"  cried  the  first,  in  a  hurried  whisper. 
So  silently  and  suddenly  had  all  this  taken  place,  that  I  sat  still  a 
moment,  hardly  realizing  my  situation.  "  Down  with  your  pistols 
and  dismount !"  was  repeated,  and  this  time  the  barrels  came  a 
little  nearer  my  breast.  Thus  solicited,  I  threw  down  my  single 
pistol — the  more  readily  because  it  was  harmless — and  got  off  my 
horse.  Having  secured  the  pistol,  the  robbers  went  to  the  rear, 
never  for  a  moment  losing  their  aim.  They  then  ordered  me  to 
lead  my  horse  off  the  road,  by  a  direction  which  they  pointed  out. 
We  went  down  the  side  of  the  ravine  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
to  a  patch  of  bushes  and  tall  grass,  out  of  view  from  the  road, 
where  they  halted,  one  of  them  returning,  apparently  to  keep 
watch.  The  others,  deliberately  levelling  their  pieces  at  me, 
commanded  me  to  lie  down  on  my  face — "  la  boca  a  tierra  /"  I 


THE    R01>BERS7    SEARCH.  367 

cannot  «ay  that  I  felt  alarmed:  it  had  always  been  a  part  of  my 
belief  that  the  shadow  of  Death  falls  before  him — that  the  man 
doomed  to  die  by  violence  feels  the  chill  before  the  blow  has  been 
struck.  As  I  never  felt  more  positively  alive  than  at  that  mo 
ment,  I  judged  my  time  had  not  yet  come.  I  pulled  off  my  coat 
and  vest,  at  their  command,  and  threw  them  on  the  grass,  saying : 
"  Take  what  you  want,  but  don't  detain  me  long."  The  fellow  in 
a  pink  calico  shirt,  who  appeared  to  have  some  authority  over  the 
other  two,  picked  up  my  coat,  and,  one  after  the  other,  turned  all 
the  pockets  inside  out.  I  felt  a  secret  satisfaction  at  his  blank 
look  when  he  opened  my  purse  and  poured  the  few  dollars  it  con 
tained  into  a  pouch  he  carried  in  his  belt.  "  How  is  it,"  said  he, 
"  that  you  have  no  more  money  ?"  "  I  don't  own  much,"  I  an 
swered,  "  but  there  is  quite  enough  for  you."  I  had,  in  fact,  barely 
sufficient  in  coin  for  a  ride  to  Mexico,  the  most  of  my  funds  hav 
ing  been  invested  in  a  draft  on  that  city.  I  believe  I  did  not  lose 
more  than  twenty-five  dollars  by  this  attack.  "  At  least,"  I  said 
to  the  robbers,  "  you'll  not  take  the  papers" — among  which  was 
my  draft.  "  TVb,"  he  replied,  "no  me  valen  nada."  (They  are 
worth  nothing  to  me.) 

Having  searched  my  coat,  he  took  a  hunting-knife  which  I 
carried,  (belonging,  however,  to  Lieut.  Beale,)  examined  the  blade 
and  point,  placed  his  piece  against  a  bush  behind  him  and  came 
up  to  me,  saying,  as  he  held  the  knife  above  my  head :  "  Now 
put  your  hands  behind  you,  and  don't  move,  or  I  shall  strike. '; 
The  other  then  laid  down  his  musket  and  advanced  to  bind  me. 
They  were  evidently  adepts  in  the  art :  all  their  movements  were 
so  carefully  timed,  that  any  resistance  would  have  been  against 
dangerous  odds.  I  did  not  consider  my  loss  sufficient  1o  justify 
any  desperate  risk,  and  did  as  they  commanded.  With  the  end 


368  ELDORADO. 

of  nw  horse's  lariat,  they  bound  my  wrists  firmly  together,  and 
having  me  thus  secure,  sat  down  to  finish  their  inspection  more 
leisurely.  My  feelings  during  this  proceeding  were  oddly  hetero 
geneous — at  one  moment  burning  with  rage  and  shame  at  having 
neglected  the  proper  means  of  defence,  and  the  next,  ready  to 
burst  into  a  laugh  at  the  decided  novelty  of  my  situation.  My 
blanket  having  been  spread  on  the  grass,  everything  was  emptied 
into  it.  The  robbers  had  an  eye  for  the  curious  and  incompre 
hensible,  as  well  as  the  useful.  They  spared  all  my  letters,  books 
and  papers,  but  took  my  thermometer,  compass  and  card-case, 
together  with  a  number  of  drawing-pencils,  some  soap,  (&  thing 
the  Mexicans  never  use,)  and  what  few  little  articles  of  the 
toilette  I  carried  with  me.  A  bag  hanging  at  my  saddle-bow,  con 
taining  ammunition,  went  at  once,  as  well  as  a  number  of  oranges 
and  cigars  in  my  pockets,  the  robbers  leaving  me  one  of  the  latter, 
as  a  sort  of  consolation  for  my  loss. 

Between  Mazatlan  and  Tepic,  I  had  carried  a  doubloon  in  the 
hollow  of  each  foot,  covered  by  the  stocking.  It  was  well  they 
had  been  spent  for  prieto,  for  they  would  else  have  certainly  been 
discovered.  The  villains  unbuckled  my  spurs,  jerked  off  my  boots 
and  examined  the  bottoms  of  my  pantaloons,  ungirthed  the  saddle 
and  shook  out  the  blankets,  scratched  the  heavy  guard  of  the  bit 
to  see  whether  it  was  silver,  and  then,  apparently  satisfied  that 
they  had  made  the  most  of  me,  tied  everything  together  in  a 
corner  of  my  best  blanket.  "  Now,"  said  the  leader,  when  this 
was  done,  "  shall  we  take  your  horse  ?"  This  question  was  of 
course  a  mockery ;  but  I  thought  I  would  try  an  experiment,  and 
so  answered  in  a  very  decided  tone  :  "  No ;  you  shall  not.  I  must 
have  him ;  I  am  going  to  Guadalajara,  and  I  cannot  get  there 
without  him.  Besides,  he  would  not  answer  at  all  for  your  busi- 


THEIR    DEPARTURE    AND    MY    LIBERATION.  369 

ness."  He  made  no  reply,  but  took  up  his  piece,  which  I  noticed 
was  a  splendid  article  and  in  perfect  order,  walked  a  short  distance 
towards  the  road,  and  made  a  signal  to  the  third  robber.  Bud- 
denly  he  came  back,  saying :  "  Perhaps  you  may  get  hungry 
before  night — here  is  something  to  cat ;"  and  with  that  he  placed 
one  of  my  oranges  and  half  a  dozen  tortillas  on  the  grass  beside 
me.  "  Mil  gracias,"  said  I,  u  but  how  am  I  to  eat  without 
hands  ?"  The  other  then  coming  up,  he  said,  as  they  all  three 
turned  to  leave  me  :  "  Now  we  are  going  ;  we  have  more  to  carry 
than  we  had  before  we  met  you  ;  adios  !"  This  was  insulting — 
but  there  are  instances  under  which  an  insult  must  be  swallowed. 

I  waited  till  no  more  of  them  could  be  seen,  and  then  turned  to 
my  horse,  who  stood  quietly  at  the  other  end  of  the  lariat : 
"  Now,  prieto,"  I  asked,  "  how  are  we  to  get  out  of  this  scrape  ?" 
He  said  nothing,  but  I  fancied  I  could  detect  an  inclination  to 
laugh  in  the  twitching  of  his  nether  lip.  However,  I  went  to 
work  at  extricating  myself — a  difficult  matter,  as  the  rope  was  tied 
in  several  knots.  After  tugging  a  long  time,  I  made  a  twist 
which  the  India-rubber  man  might  have  envied,  and  to  the  great 
danger  of  my  spine,  succeeded  in  forcing  my  body  through  my 
arms.  Then,  loosening  the  knots  with  my  teeth,  in  half  an  hour 
I  was  free  again.  As  I  rode  off,  I  saw  the  three  robbers  at  some 
distance,  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravine. 

It  is  astonishing  how  light  one  feels  after  being  robbed.  A 
sensation  of  complete  independence  came  over  me  ;  my  horse, 
even,  seemed  to  move  more  briskly,  after  being  relieved  of  my 
blankets.  I  tried  to  comfort  myself  with  the  thought  that  this 
was  a  genuine  adventure,  worth  one  experience — that,  perhaps,  it 
was  better  to  lose  a  few  dollars  than  have  even  a  robber's  blouu 
on  mv  head  ;  but  it,  would  not  do.  The  sense  of  the  outrage  and 


370  ELDORADO. 

indignity  was  strongest,  and  my  single  desire  was  the  unchristian 
one  of  revenge.  It  is  easy  to  philosophize  on  imaginary  premises, 
but  actual  experience  is  the  best  test  of  human  nature.  Once,  it 
had  been  difficult  for  me  to  imagine  the  feeling  that  would  prompt 
a  man  to  take  the  life  of  another  ;  now,  it  was  clear  enough.  In 
spite  of  the  threats  of  the  robbers,  I  looked  in  their  faces  suffi 
ciently  to  know  them  again,  in  whatever  part  of  the  world  I  might 
meet  them.  I  recognized  the  leader — a  thick-set,  athletic  man, 
with  a  short,  black  beard — as  one  of  the  persons  I  had  seen 
lounging  about  the  tienda,  in  Amatitlan,  which  explained  the 
artifice  that  led  me  to  display  more  money  than  was  prudent.  It 
was  evidently  a  preconceived  plan  to  plunder  me  at  all  hazards, 
since,  coming  from  the  Pacific,  I  might  be  supposed  to  carry  a 
booty  worth  fighting  for. 

I  rode  on  rapidly,  over  broad,  barren  hills,  covered  with  patches 
of  chapparal,  and  gashed  with  deep  arroyos.  These  are  the  usual 
hiding-places  of  the  robbers,  and  I  kept  a  sharp  look-out,  inspect 
ing  every  rock  and  clump  of  cactus  with  a  peculiar  interest. 
About  three  miles  from  the  place  of  my  encounter,  I  passed  a 
spot  where  there  had  been  a  desperate  assault  eighteen  months 
previous.  The  robbers  came  upon  a  camp  of  soldiers  and  traders 
in  the  night,  and  a  fight  ensued,  in  which  eleven  of  the  latter  were 
killed.  They  lie  buried  by  the  road-side,  with  a  few  black  crosses 
to  mark  the  spot,  while  directly  above  them  stands  a  rough 
gibbet,  on  which  three  of  the  robbers,  who  were  afterwards  taken, 
swing  in  chains.  I  confess  to  a  decided  feeling  of  satisfaction, 
when  I  saw  that  three,  at  least,  had  obtained  their  deserts. 
Their  long  black  hair  hung  over  their  faces,  their  clothes 
were  dropping  in  tatters,  and  their  skeleton-bones  protruded 
through  the  dry  and  shrunken  flesh.  The  thin,  pure  air  of  the 


MEXICAN    PUNISHMENT    AND    PROTECTION.  371 

table-land  had  prevented  decomposition,  and  the  vultures  and 
buzzards  had  been  kept  off  by  the  nearness  of  the  bodies  to  the 
road.  It  is  said,  however,  that  neither  wolves  nor  vultures  will 
touch  a  dead  Mexican,  his  flesh  being  always  too  highly  seasoned 
by  the  red-pepper  he  has  eaten.  A  large  sign  was  fastened  above 
this  ghastly  spectacle,  with  the  words,  in  large  letters :  "  ASI 

CASTIGA    LA    LEY    EL    LADRON    Y    EL    ASESINO."       (ThuS     the    law 

punishes  the  robber  and  the  assassin.^ 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  I  reached  a  military 
station  called  La  Venta,  seven  leagues  from  Guadalajara.  Thirty 
or  forty  idle  soldiers  were  laughing  and  playing  games  in  the 
shade.  I  rode  up  to  the  house  and  informed  the  officer  of  my 
loss,  mentioning  several  circumstances  by  which  the  robbers  might 
be  identified;  but  the  zealous  functionary  merely  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  said  nothing.  A  proper  distribution  of  half  the 
soldiers  who  lay  idle  in  this  guard-house,  would  have  sufficed  to 
make  the  road  perfectly  secure.  I  passed  on,  with  a  feeling  of 
indignation  against  the  country  and  its  laws,  and  hurried  my 
prieto,  now  nearly  exhausted,  over  the  dusty  plain.  I  had  as 
cended  beyond  the  tropical  heats,  and,  as  night  drew  on,  the 
temperature  was  fresh  almost  to  chilliness.  The  robbers  had 
taken  my  cravat  and  vest,  and  the  cold  wind  of  the  mountains, 
blowing  upon  my  bare  neck  gave  me  a  violent  nervous  pain  and 
toothache,  which  was  worse  than  the  loss  of  my  money.  Prieto 
panted  and  halted  with  fatigue,  for  he  had  already  traveled  fifty 
miles ;  but  I  was  obliged  to  reach  Guadalajara,  and  by  plying  a 
stick  in  lieu  of  the  abstracted  spur,  kept  him  to  his  pace.  At 
dusk  I  passed  through  Sapopa,  a  small  village,  containing  a  splen 
did  monastery,  belonging  to  the  monks  of  the  order  of  Guada- 
lupe.  Beyond  it,  T  overtook,  in  the  moonlight,  the  family  of  a 


372  ELDORADO. 

ranchero,  jogging  along  on  their  mules  and  repeating  paternosters, 
whether  for  protection  against  robbers  or  cholera,  I  could  not  tell. 
The  plain  was  crossed  by  deep,  water-worn  arroyos,  over  which 
the  road  was  bridged.  An  hour  and  a  half  of  this  bleak,  ghostly 
travel  brought  me  to  the  suburbs  of  Guadalajara — greatly  to  the 
relief  of  prieto,  for  he  began  to  stagger,  and  I  believe  could  not 
have  carried  me  a  mile  further. 

I  was  riding  at  random  among  the  dark  adobe  houses,  when  an 
old  padre,  in  black  cassock  and  immense  shovel-hat,  accosted  me. 
"  Estrangero  ?"  he  inquired ;  "  Si,  padre,"  said  I.  "  But,"  he 
continued,  "  do  you  know  that  it  is  very  dangerous  to  be  here 
alone  ?"  Several  persons  who  were  passing,  stopped  near  us,  out 
of  curiosity.  "  Begone  !"  said  he,  "  what  business  have  you  to 
stop  and  listen  to  us  ?" — then,  dropping  his  voice  to  a  whisper,  he 
added  :  "  Guadalajara  is  full  of  robbers ;  you  must  be  careful  how 
you  wander  about  after  night ;  do  you  know  where  to  go  ?"  I  an 
swered  in  the  negative.  "  Then,"  said  he,  "  go  to  the  Meson  de 
la  Merced ;  they  are  honest  people  there,  and  you  will  be  per 
fectly  safe  ;  come  with  me  and  I'll  show  you  the  way."  I  followed 
him  for  some  distance,  till  we  were  near  the  place,  when  he  put 
me  in  the  care  of  "  Ave  Maria  Santissima,"  and  left.  I  found 
the  house  without  difficulty,  and  rode  into  the  court-yard.  The 
people,  who  seemed  truly  honest,  sympathized  sincerely  for  my 
mishap,  and  thought  it  a  great  marvel  that  my  life  had  been 
spared  For  myself,  when  I  lay  down  on  the  tiled  floor  to  pass 
another  night  of  sleepless  martyrdom  to  fleas  and  the  toothache,  I 
involuntarily  said,  with  a  slight  variation  of  Touchstone's  sage  re 
flection  :  "Aye,  now  I  am  in  Guadalajara ;  the  more  fool  I ; 
when  I  was  at  home  I  was  in  a  better  place  ;  but  travelers  must 
be  content  " 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THREE    DAYS    IN    GUADALAJARA, 

WHEN  I  got  off  my  horse  at  the  Meson  de  la^  Merced,  I  told 
the  host  and  the  keeper  of  the  fonda  that  I  had  been  robbed, 
that  I  had  no  money,  and  did  not  expect  to  have  any  for  two  or 
three  days.  "  No  hace  nada^  said  they,  "  you  may  stay  as  long 
as  you  like."  So  they  gave  my  horse  a  sheaf  of  oja  and  myself  a 
supper  of  tortillas  and  pepper-sauce.  The  old  lady  who  kept  the 
fonda  was  of  half-Castilian  blood,  and  possessed  all  the  courtesy 
of  her  white  ancestors,  with  the  quickness  and  vivacity  of  the  In 
dian.  She  was  never  tired  of  talking  to  me  about  the  strangers 
who  had  stopped  at  the  meson, — especially  of  one  whom  she 
called  Don  Julio,  who,  knowing  little  Spanish,  frequently  accost 
ed  her  as  "  mule  !"  or  "  donkey !"  for  want  of  some  other  word. 
She  would  mimic  him  with  great  apparent  delight..  She  had 
three  daughters — Felipa,  Mariquita  and  Concepcion — of  whom 
the  two  former  were  very  beautiful.  They  were  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  rebosas,  and  being  quite  skilful  in  tending  the 
machines,  earned  a  dollar  a  day — a  considerable  sum  for  Mexico. 
Concepcion  was  married,  and  had  a  son  named  Zenobio — a  very 
handsome,  sprightly  little  fellow,  with  dark,  humid,  lustrous  eyes 
The  circumstance  of  my  remembering  and  calling  each  one  by 


374  ELDORADO. 

name,  seemed  to  please  them  highly,  and  always  at  meal -tin.  e  the^ 
gathered  around  the  table,  asking  me  innum  erable  questions  about 
my  country  and  my  travels. 

My  first  move  next  morning  was  to  find  the  Diligence  Office.  1 
went  into  the  main  plaza,  which  is  a  beautiful  square,  shaded  by 
orange  trees,  and  flanked  on  two  sides  by  the  picturesque  front  of 
the  Cathedral  and  the  Government  Palace.  As  I  was  passing  the 
latter  building,  one  of  the  sentinels  hailed  me.  Supposing  it  to 
be  meant  in  derision,  I  paid  no  attention  to  it,  but  presently  a 
sergeant,  accompanied  by  two  men,  came  after  me.  One  of  the 
latter  accosted  me  in  English,  saying  that  it  was  so  long  since  he 
had  seen  an  American,  he  hoped  I  would  stop  and  talk  with  him. 
He  was  a  Scotchman,  who  for  some  reason  had  enlisted  for  a  year 
and  had  already  served  about  half  of  his  time.  He  complained 
bitterly  of  the  bad  treatment  of  the  men,  who,  according  to  his 
story,  were  frequently  on  the  point  of  starvation.  The  Mexican 
soldiers  are  not  furnished  with  rations,  but  paid  a  small  sum  daily, 
on  which  they  support  themselves.  As  the  supplies  from  head 
quarters  are  very  irregular,  and  a  system  of  appropriation  is  prac 
tised  by  all  the  officers  through  whose  hands  they  must  come,  the 
men  are  sometimes  without  food  for  a  day  or  two,  and  never  re 
ceive  more  than  is  barely  sufficient  for  their  wants.  The  poor 
Scotchman,  was  heartily  sick  of  his  situation  and  told  me  he  would 
have  deserted  long  before,  only  that  he  had  no  other  clothes  in 
which  to  disguise  himself. 

At  the  office  of  the  Diligence,  I  found  the  administradcr^  Don 
Lorenzo  del  Castafio,  to  whom  I  related  my  story  and  showed  my 
draft.  "  Es  superior ,''  said  he,  after  examining  it,  and  then  told 
me  to  call  the  next  morning,  as  he  would  see  a  merchant  in  tho 
meantime  who,  he  was  sure,  would  pay  me  the  amount.  Drafts 


FINANCIERING. 


on  the  city  of  Mexico  were  at  a  premium  of  two  per  cent,  and  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  getting  it  accepted.  The  money,  howeverk 
was  paid  to  me  in  quarter-dollars,  reals  and  medios,  which  it 
took  me  more  than  an  hour  to  count.  I  went  back  to  the  office, 
with  a  heavy  canvas-bag  in  each  pocket,  paid  all  the  money  to  the 
administrador,  who  gave  me  a  ticket  for  the  next  stage  to  Mexico, 
and  an  order  for  the  residue  on  all  the  agents  of  the  line.  By 
exhibiting  these  orders  at  the  different  stopping-places  on  the  road, 
the  traveler  receives  credit  for  all  his  expenses,  the  amount  at 
each  place  being  endorsed  at  the  bottom,  and  the  remainder,  if 
any,  paid  on  his  arrival  at  Mexico.  By  this  means,  he  is  saved 
the  necessity  of  taking  any  money  with  him,  and  may  verify  the 
old  Latin  proverb  by  whistling  in  the  face  of  the  robber.  I  was 
thus  led,  perforce,  to  give  up  my  original  plan  of  traveling  on 
horseback  to  Mexico,  by  way  of  Lake  Chapala,  Zamora,  the 
ancient  city  of  Morelia  and  the  valley  of  Toluca.  This  route 
offered  less  of  general  interest  than  that  of  Lagos  and  Guanajuato, 
but  had  the  attraction  of  being  little  traveled  by  strangers  and 
little  known.  Perhaps  I  lost  nothing  by  the  change,  for  the  hills 
near  Zamora  are  robber-ground,  and  I  had  no  desire  to  look  into 
the  barrels  of  three  or  four  leveled  muskets  a  second  time. 

I  found  Guadalajara  in  a  state  of  terror  and  prayers.  For  a 
month  previous  the  inhabitants  had  been  expecting  the  arrival  of 
the  Cholera,  now  that  its  ravages  in  Durango  and  Zacatecas  were 
over.  The  city  authorities  were  doing  everything  in  their  power 
to  hasten  its  approach,  by  prohibiting  all  public'  amusements  and 
instituting  solemn  religious  festivals.  The  Cathedral  was  at  all 
times  crowded  with  worshippers,  the  Host  frequently  carried 
through  the  streets,  gunpowder  burned  and  rockets  sent  up  to 
propitiate  the  Virgin.  As  yet  no  case  had  been  reported  in  the 


376  ELDORADO. 

city,  though  there  were  rumors  of  several  in  the  neighboring 
villages.  The  convicts  were  brought  out  every  morning  in  long 
gangs,  chained  together,  each  man  carrying  a  broom  made  of  small 
twigs.  Commencing  with  the  centre  of  the  city,  they  were  kept 
sweeping  the  whole  day,  till  all  the  principal  streets  were  left  without 
a  particle  of  dust  or  filth.  The  clanking  of  their  fetters  was  con 
stantly  heard  in  some  part  of  the  city ;  the  officers  who  walked 
behind  them  carried  short  whips,  with  which  they  occasionally 
went  up  and  down  the  lines,  giving  each  man  a  blow.  This 
daily  degradation  and  abuse  of  criminals  was  cruel  and  repulsive. 
The  men,  low  and  debased  as  they  were,  could  not  have  been 
entirely  devoid  of  shame,  the  existence  of  which  always  renders 
reclamation  possible ;  but  familiarity  with  ignominy  soon  breeds 
a  hardened  indifference  which  meets  the  pride  of  honesty  with  an 
equal  pride  of  evil. 

Guadalajara  is  considered  the  most  beautiful  city  in  Mexico. 
Seated  on  a  shelf  of  the  table-land,  between  three  and  four  thou 
sand  feet  above  the  sea,  it  enjoys  a  milder  climate  than  the  capital, 
and  while  its  buildings  lack  very  little  of  the  magnificence  of  the 
latter,  its  streets  are  a  model  of  cleanliness  and  order.  The  block 
fronting  on  the  north  side  of  the  plaza,  is  a  single  solid  edifice  of 
stone,  called  the  Cortal,  with  a  broad  corridor,  supported  on  stone 
arches,  running  around  it.  The  adjoining  block  is  built  on  the 
same  plan,  and  occupied  entirely  by  shops  of  all  kinds.  Shielded 
alike  from  rain  and  sun,  it  is  a  favorite  promenade,  and  always  wears 
a  gay  and  busy  aspect.  The  intervals  between  the  pillars,  next  the 
street,  are  filled  with  cases  of  toys,  pictures,  gilt  images  of  saints,  or 
gaudy  slippers,  sarapes  and  rebosas.  Here  the  rancheros  may  be 
seen  in  abundance,  buying  ornaments  for  the  next  festivals.  Ven 
ders  of  fruit  sit  at  the  corners,  their  mats  filled  with  fragrant  and 


THE    COSTAL NOTORIETY.  377 

gleaming  pyramids,  and  the  long  shelves  of  cool  barley-water  and 
tepache,  ranged  in  glasses  of  alternate  white  and  purple,  attract 
the  thirsty  idler.  Here  and  there  a  group  is  gathered  around 
a  placard  pasted  on  the  wall — some  religious  edict  of  the  cholera- 
fearing  authorities,  a  list  of  the  fortunate  tickets  in  the  last  lot 
tery,  or  the  advertisement  of  a  magnificent  cock-fight  that  is  to 
come  off  in  the  old  town  of  Uruapan.  The  bulletin  at  the  lottery- 
office  is  always  surrounded  ;  rancheros,  housemaids,  padres  and 
robbers  come  up,  pull  out  their  tickets  from  under  their  cassocks 
and  dirty  sarapes,  compare  the  numbers  and  walk  away  with  the 
most  complete  indifference  at  their  ill  luck.  The  shops  belonging 
to  different  trades  are  always  open  ;  tailors  and  shoemakers  fre 
quently  sit  in  groups  in  the  open  corridor,  with  their  work  on 
their  knees,  undisturbed  by  the  crowds  that  pass  to  and  fro.  I 
spent  several  hours  daily  in  the  cortal,  never  tiring  of  the  pictur 
esque  life  it  exhibited. 

It  is  remarkable  how  soon  a  man's  misfortunes  are  made  public. 
The  second  day  of  my  stay  in  Guadalajara,  I  believe  I  was  known 
to  most  of  the  inhabitants  as  "  the  American  who  was  robbed." 
This,  together  with  my  rugged  and  dusty  suit  of  clothing,  (what 
was  left  of  it,)  made  me  the  subject  of  general  notice  ;  so,  after 
selling  my  draft,  I  hastened  to  disguise  myself  in  a  white  shirt 
and  a  pair  of  Mexican  pantaloons.  One  benefit  of  this  notoriety 
was,  that  it  was  the  means  of  my  becoming  acquainted  with  two 
or  three  American  residents,  and  through  them,  with  several  intel 
ligent  and  agreeable  citizens.  I  never  entered  a  place  under  such 
woful  auspices,  nor  passed  the  time  of  my  stay  more  delightfully.  In 
walking  about  the  streets  I  was  often  hailed  with  the  word  "  uistli .'" 
by  some  of  the  lower  class.  From  the  sound  I  thought  it  might 
possibly  be  an  old  Aztec  word  of  salutation  j  but  one  day  I  met  a 


378  ELDORADO. 

man,  who,  as  he  said  it,  held  up  a  bottle  of  mescal,  and  I  saw  at 
once  that  he  meant  whiskey.  The  fact  that  it  was  constantly  re 
peated  to  me  as  an  American,  gave  rather  a  curious  inference 
as  to  the  habits  of'the  emigrants  who  had  passed  through  the  city 
before  me. 

The  appearance  of  Guadalajara  on  Sunday  morning  was  very 
cheerful  and  beautiful.  Everybody  was  in  the  streets,  though  not 
more  than  half  the  shops  were  closed  ;  the  bells  rang  at  intervals 
from  the  cathedral  and  different  churches ;  the  rancheros  flocked 
in  from  the  country,  the  men  in  snow-white  shirts  and  blue  cal- 
zoneros,  the  women  in  their  best  rebosas  and  petticoats  of  some 
gay  color ;  and  the  city,  clean  swept  by  the  convicts,  and  flooded 
with  warm  sunshine,  seemed  to  give  itself  up  truly  to  a  holiday.  I 
walked  down  along  the  banks  of  the  little  river  which  divides  it 
into  two  unequal  parts.  The  pink  towers  of  the  Bishop's  Palace 
rose  lightly  in  the  air  ;  up  a  long  street,  the  gateway  of  the  Con 
vent  of  San  Francisco  stood  relieved  against  a  shaded  court-yard  ; 
the  palms  in  some  of  the  near  gardens  rustled  in  a  slow  breeze, 
but  the  dark  shafts  of  the  cypress  were  silent  and  immovable. 
Along  the  parapets  of  the  bridges,  the  rancheros  displayed  their  fag 
gots  of  sugar-cane  and  bunches  of  bananas,  chatting  gaily  with  each 
other,  and  with  their  neighbors  who  passed  by  on  mules  or  asses. 
I  visited  most  of  the  churches  during  the  time  of  service.  Many 
of  them  are  spacious  and  might  be  made  impressive,  but  they  are 
all  disfigured  by  a  tawdry  and  tasteless  style  of  ornament,  a  pro 
fusion  of  glaring  paint  and  gilding,  ghastly  statues,  and  shocking 
pictures.  The  church  of  the  Convent  of  San  Francisco  is  partly 
an  exception  to  this  censure  ;  in  a  sort  of  loggia  it  has  a  large 
painting  of  the  Last  Supper,  by  a  Mexican  artist,  which  is  truly  a 
work  of  great  beauty.  In  the  body  of  the  church  are  several  un- 


MOVABLE    FORTRESSES  379 

doubted  originals  by  Murillo,  though  not  of  his  best  period  ;  I  did 
not  see  them.  The  cathedral,  more  majestic  in  proportion,  is 
likewise  more  simple  and  severe  in  its  details  ;  its  double  row  of 
columns,  forming  three  aisles,  the  central  one  supporting  a  low 
dome,  have  a  grand  effect  when  viewed  from  the  entrance.  It  was 
constantly  filled  with  worshippers,  most  of  whom  were  driven 
thither  by  the  approach  of  the  cholera.  Even  in  passing  its  door, 
as  they  crossed  the  plaza,  the  inhabitants  uncovered  or  made 
the  sign  of  the  cross — an  extent  of  devotion  which  I  never  wit 
nessed  out  of  Mexico. 

I  found  great  source  for  amusement  in  the  carriages  collected 
near  the  doors  during  mass-hour.  They  were  all  the  manufacture 
of  the  country,  and  the  most  of  them  dated  from  the  last  century. 
The  running  works  were  of  immense  size,  the  four  wheels  sustain 
ing  a  massive  and  elaborately  carved  frame,  rising  five  or  six  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  about  twelve  feet  in  length.  In  the  centre 
of  this,  suspended  in  some  miraculous  manner,  hung  a  large 
wooden  globe,  with  a  door  in  each  side — a  veritable  Noah's  Ark 
in  form  and  solidity,  and  capable  of  concealing  a  whole  family 
(and  the  Mexican  families  are  always  large)  in  its  hollow  maw. 
These  machines  were  frequently  made  still  more  ridiculous  by  the 
pair  of  dwarfed,  starved  mules,  hitched  to  the  tongue,  so  far  in  ad 
vance  that  they  seemed  to  be  running  away  from  the  mountain 
which  pursued  and  was  about  to  overwhelm  them.  I  concluded, 
however,  after  some  reflection,  that  they  were  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  country.  In  case  of  revolution  they  would  be  not  only 
bullet  but  bomb  proof,  and  as  there  are  no  good  roads  among  the 
mountains,  they  would  roll  from  top  to  bottom,  or  shoot  off  a  pre 
cipice,  without  danger  to  the  family  within.  There  are  several 
extensive  carriage  manufactories  in  Guadalajara,  but  the  modern 


880  ELDORADO. 

fabrics  more  nearly  resemble  those  of  our  own  cities,  retaining 
only  the  heavy,  carved  frame-work,  on  which  the  body  rests. 

In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  some  friends  to  make  a  paseo  on 
the  Alarneda.  This  is  a  beautiful  square  on  the  border  of  the  city, 
shaded  with  fine  trees,  and  traversed  by  pleasant  walks,  radiating 
from  fountains  in  the  centre.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  hedge  of 
roses,  which  bloom  throughout  the  whole  year,  covering  with  a 
fragrant  shade  the  long  stone  benches  on  which  the  citizens  repose, 
Don  and  ranchero  mingled  together,  smoking  their  puros  and 
cigaritos.  The  drive  is  around  the  outside  of  the  Alameda ;  I 
saw  but  a  small  part  of  the  fashion  of  Guadalajara,  as  most  of  the 
families  were  remaining  at  home  to  invite  the  cholera.  There 
were  some  handsome  turn-outs,  and  quite  a  number  of  splendid 
horses,  ridden  in  the  Mexican  style,  which  is  perfection  itself — 
horse  and  rider  moving  as  one  creature,  and  having,  apparently, 
but  one  soul.  The  Mexican  horses  are  all  sprung  from  the 
Arabic  and  Andalusian  stock  introduced  into  the  country  by 
Cortez,  and  those  large  bands  which  run  wild  on  the  plains  of  San 
Joaquin  and  in  the  Camanche  country,  probably  differ  but  slightly 
from  the  Arab  horse  of  the  present  day. 

A  still  more  beautiful  scene  awaited  us  in  the  evening.  The 
paseo  is  then  transferred  to  the  plaza,  and  all  the  fashionable  popu 
lation  appears  on  foot — a  custom  which  I  found  in  no  other  Mexi 
can  city.  I  went  there  at  nine  o'clock.  The  full  moon  was 
shining  down  over  the  cathedral  towers  ;  the  plaza  was  almost  as 
distinct  as  by  day,  except  that  the  shadows  were  deeper  ;  the 
white  arches  and  pillars  of  the  cortal  were  defined  brilliantly 
against  the  black  gloom  of  the  corridor,  and  the  rows  of  orange 
trees,  with  their  leaves  glittering  in  the  moonlight,  gave  out  a  rare 
and  exquisite  odor  from  their  hidden  blossoms.  We  sat  down  on 


TROPIC    BEAUTY    BY    MOONLIGHT.  381 

one  of  the  benches,  so  near  the  throng  of  promenaders  passing 
around  the  plaza,  that  their  dresses  brushed  our  feet.  The  ladiea 
were  in  full  dress,  with  their  heads  uncovered,  and  there  were 
many  specimens  of  tropic  beauty  among  them.  The  faint  clear 
olive  of  their  complexion,  like  a  warm  sunset-light  on  alabaster — 
the  deep,  dark,  languishing  eye,  with  the  full  drooping  lid  that 
would  fain  conceal  its  fire — the  ripe  voluptuous  lip — the  dark  hair 
whose  silky  waves  would  have  touched  the  ground  had  they  been 
unbound — and  the  pliant  grace  and  fullness  of  the  form,  formed 
together  a  type  of  beauty,  which  a  little  queenly  ambition  would 
have  moulded  into  a  living  Cleopatra.  A  German  band  in  front 
of  the  cathedral  played  "  God  save  the  King"  and  some  of  the 
melodies  of  the  Fatherland.  About  ten  o'clock,  the  throng  began 
to  disperse  ;  we  sat  nearly  an  hour  longer,  enjoying  the  delicious 
moonlight,  coolness  and  fragrance,  and  when  I  lay  down  again  on 
the  tiles,  so  far  from  thinking  of  Touchstone,  I  felt  glad  and  grate 
ful  for  having  seen  Guadalajara. 

Among  the  Guadalajarans  I  met  was  Don  Ramon  Luna,  a  gen 
tleman  of  great  intelligence  and  refinement.  His  father  emigrated 
from  Spain  as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks,  but  by  prudence,  energy 
and  native  talent,  succeeded  in  amassing  a  large  fortune.  Don 
Ramon  spoke  English  and  French  with  great  fluency,  and  was, 
moreover,  very  enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  Mexican  antiquities. 
At  his  ranche,  a  few  leagues  from  Guadalajara,  he  had,  as  he 
informed  me,  a  large  number  of  ancient  idols  and  fossil  remains, 
which  the  workmen  had  collected  by  his  order.  I  regretted  that 
the  shortness  of  my  stay  did  not  permit  me  to  call  on  Padre 
Najar,  of  the  Convent  del  Carmen,  who  formerly  resided  in  Phila 
delphia,  and  published  a  very  able  work  on  the  Otomai  language. 

The  diligence  was  to  start  on  Monday.    On  Saturday  afternoon 


382  ELDORADO. 

I  sold  inj  horse  to  a  sort  of  trader  living  in  the  meson,  for  seven 
dollars,  as  he  was  somewhat  worn  out,  and  horses  were  cheap  in 
Guadalajara.  The  parting  with  my  good  hosts  the  next  day  was 
rather  more  difficult,  and  I  was  obliged  to  make  a  positive  promise 
of  return  within  three  years,  before  they  would  consent  that  I 
should  go.  After  I  had  obtained  some  money  and  paid  them  for 
my  board,  the  old  lady  told  me  that  thenceforth  she  would  only 
charge  half-price  for  every  meal  I  chose  to  take  in  her  house. 
"  Thanks  to  the  Supreme  King,"  said  she,  "  I  have  not  been  so 
much  in  need  that  I  should  treat  friends  and  strangers  both  alike." 
After  this,  I  only  paid  a  medio  for  rny  dinner  of  eggs,  frijoles, 
lantecas  and  chili  Colorado.  On  Sunday  night  I  rolled  up  my 
few  possessions  in  my  sarape,  took  leave  of  the  family  and  went 
to  the  Casa  de  Diligencias  to  spend  the  night.  The  old  hostess 
threw  her  arms  around  me  and  gave  me  a  heariy  embrace,  and 
the  three  daughters  followed  her  example.  I  did  not  dislike  this 
expression  of  friendship  and  regret,  for  they  were  quite  beautiful. 
As  I  went  down  the  court-yard,  the  voice  of  the  mother  followed 

me :  "  Go  with  Ave  Maria  Purisima,  and  do  not  forget  Maria  do 

* 
la  Ascencion  Hidalgo !" 


CHAPTER  XXXVn. 

IN    THf     DILIGENCE    TO    GUANAJUATO. 

THE  mozo  awoke  me  shortly  after  three  o'clock,  and  before  I 
had  finished  dressing,  brought  me  a  cup  of  foaming  chocolate  and 
a  biscuit.  The  only  other  passenger  was  a  student  from  Tepic, 
on  his  return  to  college,  in  Mexico.  The  stage  already  waited  for 
us,  and  we  had  no  sooner  taken  our  seats  on  the  leather  cushions, 
than  "  vamonos  /"  cried  the  driver,  the  whip  cracked  and  the 
wheels  thundered  along  the  silent,  moonlit  streets.  The  morning 
was  chill,  and  there  was  little  in  the  dim  glimpses  of  adobe  walla 
and  blank  fields  on  either  hand,  to  interest  us ;  so  we  lay  back  in 
the  corners  and  took  another  nap. 

The  style  of  diligence  travel  in  Mexico  is  preferable  to  that  of 
any  other  country.  The  passenger  is  waked  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  has  a  cup  of  chocolate  brought  him,  (and  no  one  has 
drank  chocolate  who  has  not  drank  it  there)  takes  his  seat,  and  has 
nearly  reached  the  end  of  the  second  post  by  sunrise.  The  heavy 
stage,  of  Troy  manufacture,  is  drawn  by  six  horses,  four  leaders 
abreast,  who  go  at  a  dashing  gallop  as  long  as  the  road  is  level. 
About  eleven  o'clock  a  breakfast  of  six  or  eight  courses  is  served 
up  in  good  style,  the  coachman  waiting  until  the  last  man  has 
leisurely  finished.  There  is  no  twanging  of  the  horn  and  cry  of 


384  ELDORADO. 

"  All  ready  !"  before  ona  has  bolted  the  first  mouthful.  Off  again, 
there  is  no  stoppage  till  the  day's  journey  is  over,  which  is  gener 
ally  about  four  o'clock,  allowing  ample  time  for  a  long  walk  and 
sight-seeing  before  dinner. 

The  second  post  brought  us  to  the  Rio  Santiago,  which  I  had 
crossed  once  between  Mazatlan  and  Tepic.  We  got  out  to  look 
at  the  old  stone  bridge  and  the  mist  of  a  cataract  that  rose  above 
the  banks,  two  or  three  hundred  yards  below.  Our  road  lay  across 
broad,  stony  tracts  of  country,  diversified  by  patches  of  cactus  ; 
in  the  distance,  the  mountain  parapet  of  a  still  higher  table-land 
was  to  be  seen.  The  third  post,  thirty  miles  from  Guadalajara, 
was  at  the  village  of  Zapotlanejo,  where  the  cholera  had  already 
appeared.  The  groom  who  assisted  in  harnessing  our  fresh  horses, 
informed  us  that  twenty  persons  had  died  of  it.  The  place  looked 
quiet  and  half-deserted ;  many  of  the  houses  were  studded  with 
little  wooden  crosses,  stuck  into  the  chinks  of  the  adobes.  The 
village  of  Tepatitlan,  which  we  passed  during  the  forenoon,  was 
likewise  a  cholera  locality.  We  dashed  through  it  and  over  a  bare, 
bleak  upland,  many  leagues  in  width,  in  the  middle  of  which  stood 
the  Rancho  de  la  Tierra  Colorada,  (Ilanche  of  the  Red  Earth)  our 
breakfast-place. 

During  the  afternoon  we  crossed  a  very  rough  and  stony  bar 
ranca.  The  chasm  at  the  bottom  was  spanned  by  a  fine  bridge, 
and  eight  cream-colored  mules  were  in  readiness  to  take  us  up  the 
ascent.  Even  after  reaching  the  level,  the  road  was  terribly  rough, 
and  the  bounds  which  our  stage  made  as  it  whirled  along,  threat 
ened  to  disjoint  every  limb  in  our  bodies.  I  received  a  stunning 
blow  on  the  crown  of  niy  head,  from  being  thrown  up  violently 
against  the  roof.  We  were  truly  rejoiced  when,  late  in  the  after 
noon,  we  saw  the  little  town  of  San  Miguel  before  us,  in  a  hollow 


SAN  JUAN  D£  LOS  LAGOS.  385 

dip  of  the  plain.  We  finished  a  ride  of  ninety  miles  as  we  drove 
into  it,  and  found  the  stage  from  Lagos  already  before  the  hotel. 
The  town  did  not  boast  a  single  "  sight,"  so  my  companion  and  I 
took  a  siesta  until  dinner  was  announced. 

The  next  morning  our  route  lay  over  the  dreary  table-land, 
avoiding  the  many  chasms  and  barrancas  with  which  its  surface 
was  seamed :  often  running  upon  a  narrow  ridge,  with  a  gaping 
hollow  on  each  side.  The  rancheros  were  ploughing  in  some 
places,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  soil  seemed  to  be  given  up  to 
pasturage.  The  fields  were  divided  by  walls  of  stone,  but  fre 
quently,  in  the  little  villages,  a  species  of  cactus  had  been  planted 
so  as  to  form  gardens  and  corrals,  its  straight,  single  pillars  stand 
ing  side  by  side,  to  the  height  of  ten  feet,  with  scarcely  a  crevice 
between.  The  people  we  met,  were  more  hale  and  ruddy  in 
their  appearance  than  those  of  the  Tierra  Caliente.  As  they  gal 
loped  alongside  the  stage,  with  their  hats  off,  speaking  with  the 
driver,  I  thought  I  had  never  seen  more  lightly  and  strongly  made 
forms,  or  more  perfect  teeth.  When  they  laughed,  their  mouths 
seemed  to  blaze  with  the  sparkling  white  rows  exhibited.  To 
wards  noon,  we  saw,  far  ahead,  the  tops  of  two  towers,  that  ap 
peared  to  rise  out  of  the  earth.  They  belonged  to  the  church  of 
San  Juan  de  Los  Lagos,  the  place  of  the  great  Annual  Fair  of 
Mexico — a  city  of  five  thousand  inhabitants,  built  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  circular  basin,  whose  rim  is  only  broken  on  one  side  by 
a  gash  which  lets  out  the  waters  it  collects  in  the  rainy  season. 
Seen  from  the  edge  of  the  basin,  just  before  you  commence  the 
descent,  a  more  fantastic  picture  could  scarcely  be  imagined. 
The  towers  of  the  church  are  among  the  tallest  in  Mexico.  During 
the  Fair,  the  basin  is  filled  to  its  brim,  and  a  tent-city,  containing 
from  three  hundred  thousand  to  half  a  million  inhabitants,  is 
17 


ELDORADO. 

planted  in  it.  From  Sonora  to  Oajaca,  all  Mexico  is  there,  with 
a  good  representation  from  Santa  Fe,  Texas  and  California.  We 
descended  by  a  zigzag  road,  of  splendid  masonry,  crossed  the  gul- 
ley  at  the  bottom  by  a  superb  bridge,  and  stopped  at  the  Diligence 
Hotel  for  breakfast.  The  town  was  at  prayers,  on  account  of 
cholera.  Five  hundred  people  had  already  died,  and  the  epidemic 
was  just  beginning  to  abate.  I  saw  several  of  the  ignorant  popu 
lace  issue  from  their  huts  on  their  knees,  and  thus  climb  their 
painful  way  up  the  hill  to  the  cathedral,  saying  paternosters  as 
they  went.  Two  attendants  went  before,  spreading  sarapes  on 
the  stones,  to  save  their  knees,  and  taking  them  up  after  they  had 
passed.  We  ate  a  hearty  breakfast  in  spite  of  the  terror  around 
us,  and  resuming  our  seats  in  the  diligence,  were  whirled  over 
hill  and  plain  till  we  saw  the  beautiful  churches  of  Lagos  in  the 
distance.  At  the  hotel,  we  found  the  stage  from  Zacatecas  just 
in,  bringing  passengers  for  Mexico. 

I  took  an  afternoon  stroll  through  Lagos,  visiting  the  market 
place  and  principal  churches,  but  found  nothing  worthy  of  parti 
cular  note.  We  arose  in  the  moonlight,  chocolated  in  the  ccmedor, 
or  dining-hall,  and  took  our  seats — seven  in  all — in  the  diligence. 
We  speedily  left  the  neat,  gay  and  pleasant  city  behind  us,  and 
began  a  journey  which  promised  to  be  similar  to  that  of  the  two 
preceding  days — a  view  of  barren  table-land,  covered  with  stone 
fences  and  cactus  hedges,  on  either  side,  and  blue  mountains  ever 
in  far  perspective.  With  the  sun,  however,  things  looked  more 
cheerful,  and  soon  after  entering  on  the  third  post,  we  climbed  a 
stony  c&rro,  from  which  opened  a  splendid  view  of  the  Valley  of 
Leon.  Far  as  the  vision  extended,  the  effect  was  still  heightened 
by  a  veil  of  thin  blue  vapor  which  arose  from  the  broad  leagues  of 
field  and  meadow  below  us.  In  the  centre  of  the  picture  rose  th« 


THE    VALLEY    OF    LEON.  337 

spires  of  Villa  de  Leon,  from  the  midst  of  green  barley-fields  and 
gardens  of  fruit  trees.  To  the  eastward,  beyond  the  valley — which 
to  the  south  melted  into  the  sky  without  a  barrier — ran  the  high 
and  rocky  ranges  of  the  mineral  mountains  of  Guanajuato.  We 
had  nearly  crossed  the  table-land  of  the  Pacific  side  of  Mexico, 
and  these  hills  were  spurs  from  the  spinal  ridge  of  the  Continent. 
Our  horses  galloped  into  Leon — a  large  and  lively  town,  which 
pleased  me  much  better  than  Lagos.  We  had  a  capital  breakfast 
of  eight  courses  in  the  hall  of  the  Sodedaddel  Comercio,  and  took 
in  two  fresh  passengers,  which  just  filled  the  diligence.  Dashing 
out  of  the  town,  the  road  led  over  the  level  plain,  between  fields 
and  gardens  of  great  fertility.  In  the  soft  morning  light,  the 
animation  and  beauty  of  the  scene  were  delightful.  The  peons 
were  everywhere  at  work  in  the  fields,  watering  the  trees  and  vege 
tables  from  wells,  out  of  which  they  drew  the  water  with  long  poles. 
At  a  bridge  over  the  dry  bed  of  a  river  near  the  town,  I  noticed  a 
gang  of  about  fifty  ferocious  fellows,  in  ragged  sarapes.  Several 
soldiers,  well  armed,  paced  up  and  down  the  road,  and  I  after 
wards  learned  that  the  diligence  was  frequently  robbed  there.  Two 
long  posts  down  the  valley,  made  with  horses  going  a  carrera^ 
brought  us  to  Silao.  While  the  grooms  were  changing  teams,  we 
supplied  ourselves  with  oranges,  bananas,  zapotes  chicos  and 
granaditas  de,  China,  The  latter  fruit  is  about  the  size  of  an 
egg,  with  ar  brittle  shell  of  a  bright  scarlet  color,  inside  of  which 
is  a  soft  white  sack.  Breaking  this  open,  the  tender,  fragrant 
pulp  is  revealed — the  most  dainty,  exquisite  thing  that  Nature  ever 
compounded.  We  also  bought  an  armful  of  sugar-cane,  which  we 
hung  on  the  umbrella-hooks,  and  chopped  up  and  chewed  aa 
thirst  required. 

From  Silao  to  Guanajuato  is  but  one  post.     Leaving  the  former 


388  ELDORADO. 

place,  we  approached  a  cape  of  the  mountains,  and  traveled  foi 
several  miles  over  wild  hills  covered  with  immense  cactus  trees, 
the  trunks  of  many  of  them  measuring  two  feet  in  diameter.  From 
the  summit  we  looked  down  into  a  large  mountain-basin,  opening 
towards  the  south  into  the  Valley  of  Leon.  On  its  opposite  side, 
among  mountains  whose  summits  are  the  more  sterile  from  the 
glittering  veins  of  precious  ore  within,  we  saw  the  walls  of  some  of 
the  mining  establishments  of  Guanajuato. 

Of  all  places  in  Mexico,  the  situation  of  this  city  is  the  most 
picturesque  and  remarkable.  It  lies  like  an  enchanted  city, 
buried  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains.  Entering  a  rocky  Canada, 
the  bottom  of  which  barely  affords  room  for  the  road,  you  pass 
between  high  adobe  walls,  above  which,  up  the  steep,  rise  tier 
above  tier  of  blank,  windowless,  sun-dried  houses,  looking  as  if 
they  had  grown  out  of  the  earth.  You  would  take  them  to  be  a 
sort  of  cubic  chrystalization  of  the  soil.  Every  corner  in  the  wind 
ings  of  the  road  is  filled  with  the  buildings  of  mining  companies — 
huge  fortresses  of  stone,  ramparted  as  if  for  defence.  The  scene 
varies  with  every  moment ; — now  you  look  up  to  a  church  with 
purple  dome  and  painted  towers  ;  now  the  blank  adobe  walls,  with 
here  and  there  a  spiry  cypress  or  graceful  palm  between  them, 
rise  far  above  you,  along  the  steep  ledges  of  the  mountain ;  and 
again,  the  mountain  itself,  with  its  waste  of  rock  and  cactus,  is  all 
you  see.  The  Canada  finally  seems  to  close.  A  precipice  of 
rock — out  of  a  rift  in  which  the  stream  flows — shuts  up  the  pas 
sage.  Ascending  this  by  a  twist  in  the  road,  you  are  in  the  heart 
of  the  city.  Lying  partly  in  the  narrow  bed  of  the  ravine  and 
partly  on  its  sides  and  in  its  lateral  branches,  it  is  only  by  mount 
ing  to  some  higher  eminence  that  one  can  realize  its  extent  and 
position  At  the  farther  end  of  the  city  the  mountains  form  a 


GUANAJUATO    AND    ITS    MINES.  389 

culde  sac.  The  Canada  is  a  blind  passage,  and  you  can  only 
leave  it  by  the  road  you  came.  The  streets  are  narrow,  crooked, 
and  run  up  and  down  in  all  directions ;  there  is  no  room  for 
plar,as  nor  alamedas.  A  little  triangular  space  in  front  of  the 
cathedral,  however,  aspires  to  the  former  title.  The  city  reminded 
me  of  descriptions  of  the  old  Moorish  towns  of  Spain — not  as  they 
now  exist,  but  as  they  stood  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

In  the  afternoon  I  took  a  walk  through  the  city,  climbing  one 
of  the  hills  to  a  cross  planted  on  a  small  rocky  point  under  the 
fortress  of  San  Miguel.  Thence  I  could  look  down  on  the  twisted 
streets  and  flat  house-tops,  and  the  busy  flood  of  life  circulating 
through  all.  The  churches,  with  their  painted  spires  and  domes, 
gave  a  bizarre  and  picturesque  character  to  the  scene.  Off  to  the 
north,  in  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  I  could  see  the  entrances  to 
the  silver  mines,  and  the  villages  of  the  mining  communities. 
Around  Guanajuato  there  are  more  than  a  hundred  mines,  em 
ploying  about  seventy-five  thousand  workmen.  The  business  of 
Guanajuato  is  now  very  flourishing,  the  mines  having  in  1849 
yielded  $8,400,000,  or  $600,000  more  than  the  previous  year. 
New  mines  have  been  opened  on  the  rich  vein  of  La  Luz,  which 
will  soon  be  in  a  producing  state,  and  promise  much  higher  results. 
There  is  a  fascination  about  the  business,  which  is  almost  equal  to 
that  of  play.  The  lucky  discoverer  of  a  new  mine  will  frequently 
squander  away  the  sudden  wealth  he  has  acquired  in  a  week's  dis 
sipation.  The  wages  of  the  common  workmen  vary  from  four 
reals  to  two  dollars  a  da;y. 

Before  night  I  visited  the  cathedral  and  the  churches  of  San 
Diego  and  San  Felipe — the  latter  a  dark  old  structure,  covered 
with  quaint,  half-Gothic  ornaments,  its  front  shaded  by  several 
tall  cypresses.  In  the  church  of  San  Diego,  1  saw  a  picture  of 


390  ELDORADO. 

great  beauty,  of  the  Murillo  school,  but  hardly,  I  think,  an  ori 
ginal  of  the  renowned  master  of  Spanish  painting.  After  dinner, 
while  wandering  about,  looking  at  the  fruit-stands,  which  were 
lighted  with  a  red  glow  by  smoky  torches,  I  witnessed  a  curious 
ceremony.  One  of  a  band  of  robbers,  who  had  been  taken  and 
convicted,  was  to  be  shot  the  next  morning.  All  the  bells  in  the 
city  commenced  tolling  at  sunset,  and  the  incessant  ding-dong 
they  kept  up  for  nearly  two  hours,  was  enough  to  drive  one  fran 
tic.  I  heard  the  sound  of  music,  and  saw  the  twinkling  of  wax 
tapers  ;  I  therefore  pressed  through  the  crowd  into  the  middle  of 
the  little  plaza,  to  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  procession.  First 
came  a  company  of  soldiers,  with  a  military  band,  playing  dirges  ; 
after  this  the  Bishop  of  the  city  bearing  the  Host,  under  a  canopy 
of  white  and  silver,  borne  by  priests,  who  also  carried  lanterns  of 
blue  glass  ;  another  company  of  soldiers  followed,  and  after  them 
a  long  double  line  of  citizens,  each  of  whom  held  an  immense 
burning  taper  in  his  hand.  With  the  clang  of  bells  and  the  wail 
of  brazen  instruments,  they  came  towards  us.  The  thousands  in 
the  plaza  dropped  on  their  knees,  leaving  me  standing  alone  in  the 
centre.  A  moment's  reflection  convinced  me  of  the  propriety  of 
following  their  example,  so  I  sank  down  between  a  woman  with  a 
very  dirty  rebosa  and  a  black-bearded  fellow,  who  might  have  been 
the  comrade  of  the  condemned  robber. 

The  procession,  keeping  a  slow  and  measured  pace,  proceeded 
to  the  prison,  where  the  sacrament  of  extreme  unction  was  admin 
istered  to  the  criminal.  It  then  returned  to  the  cathedral,  which 
was  brilliantly  lighted,  and  filled  with  a  dense  throng  of  people. 
The  military  band  was  stationed  in  the  centre,  under  the  dome, 
and  mingled  its  harmonies  with  those  of  the  powerful  organ.  I 
could  get  no  further  than  the  door-way,  whence  the  whole  interior 


THE  EVE  OF  A  ROBBER'S  DEATH.  391 

was  visible  as  a  lighted  picture,  framed  in  the  gloomy  arch  undei 
which  I  stood.  The  rise  and  swell  of  the  choral  voices — the  deep, 
stunning  peal  of  the  bells  in  the  tower — the  solemn  attitude  of  the 
crowd,  and  the  blaze  of  light  under  which  all  these  imposing  cere 
monies  were  seen — made  a  powerful  impression  on  me.  The 
people  about  me  constantly  repeated  their  paternosters,  an 
seemed  to  feel  a  deep  sympathy  with  the  convicted.  I  remem 
bered,  that  in  the  afternoon  I  had  seen  in  the  cathedral  a  man 
somewhat  advanced  in  years,  who  was  praying  with  an  intensity  of 
grief  and  supplication  that  made  him  for  the  time  insensible  to  all 
else.  His  sobs  and  groans  were  so  violent  as  to  shake  his  whole 
frame  ;  I  had  never  seen  a  more  vehement  expression  of  anguish. 
Thinking  he  might  have  been  the  robber's  father,  I  began  to  have 
some  compassion  for  the  former,  though  now  and  then  a  wicked 
feeling  of  rejoicing  would  steal  in,  that  another  of  the  tribe  was 
soon  to  be  exterminated.  The  most  curious  feature  of  the  scene 
was  a  company  of  small  boys,  carrying  bundles  of  leaves  on  which 
was  printed  the  "  Last  Dying  Speech  and  Confession,"  in  poetry, 
the  burden  being  "  Adios,  Guanajuato  amado  /"  These  boys 
were  scattered  through  the  crowd,  crying  out :  "  Here  you  have 
my  sentence,  my  confession,  my  death,  my  farewell  to  Guanajuato 
— all  for  a  cuartilla  ."  The  exercises  were  kept  up  so  long,  that 
finally  I  grew  weary,  and  went  to  bed,  where  the  incessant  bells 
rang  death-knells  in  my  dreams. 

In  Guanajuato  I  tasted  pulque  for  the  first  and  last  time. 
Seeing  a  woman  at  the  corner  of  a  street  with  several  large  jars  of 
what  I  took  to  be  barley-water,  I  purchased  a  glass.  I  can  only 
liken  the  taste  of  this  beverage  to  a  distillation  of  sour  milk  (if 
there  could  be  such  a  thing)  strongly  tinctured  with  cayenne  pep 
per  and  hartshorn.  Men  were  going  about  the  streets  with  cans 


392  ELDORADO. 

on  their  heads,  containing  ices  made  from  tropical  fruits,  which 
were  much  more  palatable. 

They  even  have  authors  in  Guanajuato.  On  the  theatre  bills  I 
saw  the  announcement  that  an  original  tragedy  entitled  "  El 
Amor  ConyugalJ"*  by  a  young  Guanajuatense,  was  in  preparation 
"  The  precious  comedy  of  the  Two  Fernandos  and  the  Two  Pe- 
pas"  was  to  be  given  as  an  afterpiece — probably  a  travesty  of  the 
"  Comedy  of  Errors." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


THE    DIVIDING    RIDGE,    AND    DESCENT    INTO    THE    VALLEY    OP 


MEXICO. 


WE  were  roused  in  Guanajuato  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
for  the  Jornada  of  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  to  Queretaro.  A 
splendid  moon  was  riding  near  the  zenith,  with  her  attendant  star 
at  her  side  ;  and  by  her  light  we  drove  down  the  ominous  depths 
of  the  Canada.  The  clumsy  leaves  of  the  cactus,  along  the  ledges 
of  the  hills,  seemed  in  the  uncertain  light,  like  the  heads  of  robbers 
peering  over  the  rocks ;  the  crosses  of  the  dead,  here  and  there, 
spread  out  their  black  arms,  and  we  were  not  free  from  all  ap 
prehensions  of  attack,  until,  after  a  post  of  three  leagues,  we 
reached  the  level  and  secure  land  of  the  Bajio.  Once,  only,  a 
company  of  about  twenty  wild-looking  men,  whose  weapons  glit 
tered  in  the  moonlight,  hooted  at  us  as  we  passed  ;  we  took  them 
to  be  a  part  of  the  robber-band,  on  their  way  to  Guanajuato  to 
witness  the  execution  of  their  comrade. 

In  five  posts  we  reached  the  city  of  Salamanca,  where  break 
fast  was  already  on  the  table.  No  sooner  had  the  final  dish  of  fri- 
joles  and  cup  of  coffee  been  dispatched,  than  the  coche.ro  summoned 
us.  The  mozo  drew  away  with  a  jerk  the  rope  which  held  the 
four  leaders ;  the  horses  plunged  and  pranced  till  the  lumbering 
mass  of  the  diligence  began  to  move,  when  they  set  off  in  a  furious 


394  ELDORADO. 

gallop.  For  ten  miles,  over  the  level  road,  the  speed  was  scarcely 
slackened,  till  we  drew  up  at  the  next  post,  and  exchanged  our 
dusty  and  reeking  steeds  for  a  fresh  team,  as  fiery  and  furious  as 
the  first. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed,  is  one  of  the  richest 
regions  in  Mexico.  It  is  called  the  Bajio,  or  Lowland,  but  is  in 
fact  an  extent  of  table-land,  about  four  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  only  lower  than  the  mountain-ridges  which 
enclose  it  and  draw  from  the  upper  clouds  the  streams  that  give 
it  perpetual  growth.  From  the  city  of  Leon,  near  Lagos,  it  ex 
tends  to  San  Juan  del  Rio,  beyond  Queretaro — a  distance  of 
nearly  two  hundred  miles.  It  is  traversed  by  the  Rio  Lerma,  the 
stream  which,  rising  in  the  Volcano  of  Toluca  (the  neighbor  of 
Popocatapetl)  mingles  with  the  waters  of  Lake  Chapala,  and  after 
wards — first  as  the  Rio  Blanco  and  then  as  the  Rio  Santiago — 
finds  its  way  into  the  Pacific  at  San  Bias.  This  immense  level  is 
all  under  fine  cultivation  and  covered  with  thousand-acre  fields  of 
wheat,  maize  and  barley  in  different  stages  of  growth.  The  white 
fronts  of  haciendas  gleamed  from  out  their  embowering  gardens, 
in  the  distance,  and  the  spires  of  the  country  towns,  rising  at  in 
tervals,  gave  life  and  animation  to  the  picture.  In  the  afternoon 
we  passed  the  city  of  Zelaya,  nearly  smothered  in  clouds  of  dust 
that  rose  from  the  dry  soil 

As  we  reached  the  boundary  of  the  State  of  Queretaro,  eight 
lancers,  armed  likewise  with  escopettes  and  holster-pistols,  gal 
loped  out  of  the  cactus  on  a  wild,  stony  hill,  and  took  their  places 
on  each  side  of  us.  They  constituted  a  military  escort  (at  the 
expense  of  the  passengers,)  to  the  gates  of  Queretaro.  With  their 
red  pennons  fluttering  in  the  wind  and  their  rugged  little  horses 
spurred  into  a  gallop,  they  were  very  picturesque  objects.  GUI 


A     GA\     PADRE.  395 

time  was  divided  in  watching  their  movements  and  looking  out  for 
the  poles  planted  by  the  roadside  as  a  sign  that  robbers  had  been 
taken  and  shot  there.  My  Mexican  fellow-travelers  pointed  to 
these  tokens  of  unscrupulous  punishment  with  evident  satisfac 
tion.  A  large  tree  near  Qucretaro,  with  a  great  many  lateral 
branches,  bears  a  sign  with  the  words  "  Por  Ladrones,"  (For 
Robbers,)  in  large  letters.  It  is  probably  used  when  a  whole 
company  is  caught  at  once. 

We  drove  into  Queretaro  after  dark,  and  the  only  glimpse  I  had 
of  the  place  was  from  the  balcony  of  the  hotel.  I  regretted  not 
having  arrived  earlier,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  cotton  manu 
factory  of  Don  G-aetano  Rubio,  which  is  the  largest  in  the  Repub 
lic.  Among  the  passengers  in  the  diligence  from  Mexico,  who 
joined  us  at  the  dinner-table,  was  a  jovial  padre,  who  talked  con 
stantly  of  the  Monplaisir  troupe  of  dancers  and  Co3nen,  the 
violinist.  In  fact,  he  was  more  familiar  with  American  and  Euro 
pean  theatricals  than  any  one  I  had  met  for  a  long  time,  and 
gave  me  a  ready  account  of  the  whereabouts  of  Cerito,  Ellsler, 
Taglioni,  and  all  the  other  divinities  of  the  dance.  He  then  com 
menced  a  dissertation  upon  the  character  of  the  different  modern 
languages.  The  English,  he  said,  was  the  language  of  commerce  ; 
the  French,  of  conversation ;  the  G-erman,  of  diplomacy,  because 
there  were  no  words  of  double  meaning  in  it ! — and  the  Spanish, 
of  devotion.  With  his  conversation  and  delightful  cigaritos,  I 
passed  the  hour  before  bed-time  very  pleasantly.  I  never  met 
more  lively  and  entertaining  padre. 

We  drove  to  the  town  of  San  Juan  del  Rio,  eleven  leagues  dis 
tant,  for  breakfast.  A  fresh  escort  was  given  us  at  every  post, 
for  which  a  fresh  contribution  of  two  reals  was  levied  on  each  pas 
senger.  Towards  evening,  leaving  the  Bajio,  we  came  upon  a 


396  ELDORADO. 

large,  arid  llano,  flat  as  a  table,  and  lying  at  the  foot  of  the 
Mount  of  Capulalpan.  A  string  of  mules,  carrying  stone  from  the 
mountains,  stretched  across  it,  till  they  almost  vanished  in  the 
perspective.  One  by  one  they  came  up  out  of  the  distance,  emp 
tied  the  stones,  which  were  heaped  upon  their  backs  in  rough 
wicker  frames,  and  turned  about  to  repeat  the  journey.  They 
belonged  to  the  estate  of  Seiior  Zurutuza,  proprietor  of  the  dili 
gence  lines  of  Mexico,  who  shows  as  much  prudence  and  skill  in 
the  cultivation  of  his  lands  as  in  the  arrangement  of  his  stages 
and  hotels.  The  estate  which  he  purchased  of  the  Mexican 
Government,  at  a  cost  of  $300,000,  contains  thirty-seven  square 
leagues,  nearly  all  of  which  is  arable  land.  The  buildings  stand 
in  a  little  valley,  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  principal 
storehouse  is  two  hundred  feet  square,  and  solid  as  a  fortress.  An 
arched  entrance,  closed  by  massive  gates,  leads  to  a  paved  court 
yard,  around  which  runs  a  lofty  gallery,  with  pillars  of  oak  resting 
on  blocks  of  lava.  Under  this  shelter  were  stored  immense  piles 
of  wheat  and  chopped  straw.  On  the  outside,  a  number  of  per 
sons  were  employed  in  removing  the  grain  from  a  large  circular 
floor  of  masonry,  where  it  had  been  trodden  out  by  mules,  and 
separating  it  from  the  chaff  by  tossing  it  diligently  in  the  wind. 
The  hotel  for  the  accommodation  of  travelers,  is  a  new  and  ele 
gant  structure,  and  a  decided  improvement  on  other  buildings  of 
the  kind  in  Mexico. 

We  slept  soundly  in  the  several  rooms  allotted  to  us,  and  by 
daybreak  next  morning  were  on  the  summit  of  the  Pass  of  Capu 
lalpan,  about  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  air  was 
thin  and  cold  ;  the  timber  was  principally  oak,  of  a  stunted  and 
hardy  kind,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the  place  is  desolate  in 
the  extreme.  Jlere,  where  the  streams  of  the  two  oceans  arc 


APPROACHING    MEXICO.  397 

divided,  the  first  view  of  Popocatapetl,  at  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  distance,  greets  the  traveler.  A  descent  of  many  miles, 
through  splendid  plantations,  lying  in  the  lap  of  the  mountains, 
brought  us  to  the  old  town  of  Tula,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tula 
River,  which  empties  into  the  Gulf,  at  Tampico.  Here  we  break 
fasted,  and  then  started  on  our  last  stage  towards  the  capital. 
Crossing  a  low  range  of  hills,  we  reached  the  Desagua,  an  immense 
canal,  cut  for  the  draining  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  The  after 
noon  was  hot  and  breezeless ;  clouds  of  dust  enveloped  and  almost 
stifled  us,  rising  as  they  rolled  away  till  they  looked  like  slender 
pillars,  swayed  from  side  to  side  by  the  vibrations  of  the  air.  We 
passed  the  towns  of  Guatitlan  and  Tanepantla,  where  we  only 
stopped  to  get  a  drink  of  tepache,  a  most  nourishing  and  refresh 
ing  beverage,  compounded  of  parched  corn,  pineapple,  and  sugar 
The  road  was  hedged  by  immense  aloes,  some  of  which  had  leaves 
ten  feet  in  length :  they  are  cultivated  in  great  quantities  for  the 
pulque,  which  is  manufactured  from  their  juice.  A  few  hours  of 
this  travel,  on  the  level  floor  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  brought  us 
to  the  suburbs,  where  we  met  scores  of  people  in  carriages  and  on 
horseback,  going  out  to  take  their  evening  paseo  around  the  Ala- 
meda.  Rattling  over  the  streets  of  the  spacious  capital,  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  brought  to  a  stand  in  the  yard  of  the  Casa  de 
Diligencias. 

A  few  minutes  after  my  arrival,  the  Vera  Cruz  stage  drove  into 
the  yard.  The  first  person  who  jumped  out  was  my  friend  Mr. 
Parrot,  U.  S.  Consul  at  Mazatlan.  Gov.  Letcher,  our  Envoy  to 
Mexico,  came  in  the  same  stage,  but  was  met  at  the  Penon  Grande 
by  a  number  of  Americans  in  carriages,  and  brought  into  the  city. 
It  is  a  pleasant  thing  to  have  friends  of  your  own  size.  I  made 
my  first  appearance  in  the  City  of  the  Montezumas  covered  with 


308  ELDORADO. 

dust  and  clad  in  the  weather-beaten  corduroys,  which  were  all  the 
robbers  left  me.  Thanks  to  the  kind  offer  of  Mr.  Parrot  and  Mi- 
Peyton,  who  accompanied  him,  I  sat  down  to  dinner  in  half  an 
hour  afterwards,  looking  and  feeling  much  more  like  a  member 
of  civilized  society. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

SCENES   IN    THE    MEXICAN    CAPITAL. 

I  SALLIED  out,  on  the  bright  sunny  morning  after  reaching 
Mexico,  to  make  a  survey  of  the  city.  The  sky  was  cloudless 
except  on  the  horizon,  in  the  direction  of  Popocatapetl,  and  the 
air  was  charmingly  cool  and  fresh.  Its  rarity,  by  accelerating  the 
breathing,  had  a  stimulating  effect,  but  I  found  that  a  faster  pace 
than  ordinary  exhausted  me  in  a  few  minutes.  Most  of  the  shops 
were  closed,  and  the  people  from  the  neighboring  villages  began 
to  come  in  for  the  morning  mass.  The  streets  are  broad,  tolerably 
clean,  and  have  an  air  of  solidity  and  massive  strength  beyond 
that  of  any  modern  city.  The  houses  are  all  of  stone,  with  few 
windows  on  the  streets,  but  an  arched  gateway  in  the  centre, 
leading  to  a  patio,  or  courtyard,  where  the  only  correct  view  of 
their  size  and  magnificence  may  be  obtained.  The  glimpses 
through  these  gateways,  while  passing,  are  often  very  beauti 
ful — the  richly-sculptured  frame  of  stone  enclosing  a  sunny  pic 
ture  of  a  fountain,  a  cluster  of  orange-trees,  or  the  slender,  grace 
ful  arches  of  the  corridor.  The  buildings  are  painted  of  some 
light,  fresh  color,  pink  and  white  being  predominant ;  some  of 
them,  indeed,  are  entirely  covered  with  arabesque  patterns  in 
fresco.  The  streets  run  at  right  angles,  with  nearly  Philadelphian 


409  ELDORADO. 

regularity,  but  the  system  of  naming  them  is  very  confusing  to  a 
stranger.  A  name  extends  no  farther  than  a  single  block,  the 
same  street  having  sometimes  as  many  as  twenty  different  names 
in  different  places.  Thus,  while  there  are  several  thousand  names 
of  streets  in  the  city,  (all  of  them  long  and  difficult  to  remember) 
the  actual  number  of  streets  is  small. 

I  wandered  about  for  some  time,  looking  for  the  Grand  Plaza, 
and  at  last  fell  into  the  wake  of  the  mass-going  crowd,  as  the 
surest  way  to  find  it.  It  is  in  the  very  centre  of  the  city,  though 
the  business  quarter  lies  almost  entirely  on  the  western  side.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  imposing  squares  in  the  world,  and  still  far  in 
ferior  to  what  it  might  be  made.  It  covers  about  fourteen  acres, 
which  are  entirely  open  and  unbroken,  except  by  a  double  row  of 
orange-trees  in  front  of  the  Cathedral.  The  splendid  equestrian 
statue  of'  Charles  IV.  by  the  sculptor  Tolsa,  which  formerly 
stood  in  the  centre,  has  been  removed  since  the  war  of  Independ 
ence,  and  the  Government  has  never  been  able  to  replace  it  by 
something  more  to  its  republican  taste.  The  National  Palace, 
with  a  front  of  five  hundred  feet,  occupies  nearly  the  entire  eastern 
side  of  the  plaza,  while  the  Cathedral,  with  a  church  adjoining, 
fills  the  northern.  Around  the  other  sides  runs  a  cortal,  whose 
arches  are  nearly  blocked  up  by  the  wares  and  gay  fabrics  there 
disposed  for  sale.  One  of  the  houses  forming  this  cortal  was  built 
by  Cortez,  and  is  still  owned  by  his  descendants.  As  in  our  own 
cities,  there  is  a  row  of  hacks  strung  along  one  side  of  the  plaza, 
the  drivers  of  which  assail  you  with  continual  invitations  to  ride. 

The  Cathedral  is  grand  and  impressive  from  its  very  size,  but 
the  effect  of  the  front  is  greatly  injured  by  its  incongruous  style  of 
architecture.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  single  design  adopted, 
but  after  half  had  been  built,  the  architect  changed  his  plan  and 


INTERIOR    OF    THE    CATHEDRAL.  401 

finished  the  remainder  in  a  different  style.  The  front,  as  high  as 
the  Cathedral  roof,  has  a  venerable  appearance  of  age  and  neglect, 
while  the  two  massive,  square,  unadorned  towers  rising  from  it. 
are  as  brilliantly  white  and  fresh  as  if  erected  yesterday.  The 
front  of  the  church  adjoining  is  embossed  with  very  elaborate  or 
naments  of  sculpture,  all  showing  the  same  disregard  of  architec 
tural  unity.  The  interior  of  the  Cathedral  is  far  more  perfect  in 
its  structure.  The  nave,  resting  its  lofty  arch  on  pillars  of  a 
semi-Grothic  character,  with  the  gorgeous  pile  of  the  high-altar  at 
its  extremity,  blazing  with  gold  and  silver  and  precious  marbles, 
looks  truly  sublime  in  the  dim,  subdued  light  which  fills  it.  The 
railing  around -the  altar  is  solid  silver,  as  well  as  the  lamps  which 
burn  before  it.  In  the  shrines  along  the  side  aisles  there  are  many 
paintings  of  fine  character,  but  everywhere  the  same  flash  of  gold 
and  appearance  of  lavish  treasure.  The  Cathedral  was  crowded 
to  the  very  door  by  a  throng  of  rancheros,  Indians,  stately  ladies 
in  silks  and  jewels,  soldiers  and  leperos,  kneeling  side  by  side. 
Tne  sound  of  the  organ,  bearing  on  its  full  flood  the  blended 
voices  of  the  choir,  pealed  magnificently  through  the  nave.  There 
were  some  very  fine  voices  among  the  singers,  but  their  perform 
ance  was  wanting  in  the  grand  and  perfect  unison  which  distin 
guishes  the  Italian  chorus. 

In  the  afternoon,  there  was  a  great  fair  or  festival  at  Tacu- 
baya,  and  half  the  population  of  the  city  went  out  to  attend  it. 
The  stages  in  front  of  the  Diligence  Hotel,  which  bore  the  in 
scription  on  their  sides :  "  A  Tacubaya,  por  2  reales,"  were 
jammed  with  passengers.  I  preferred  a  quiet  walk  in  the  Ala- 
meda  to  a  suffocating  ride  in  the  heat  and  dust,  and  so  did  my 
friend,  Peyton.  The  Alameda  is  a  charming  place,  completely 
shaded  by  tall  trees,  and  musical  with  the  plash  of  fountains 


402  ELDORADO. 

Through  its  long  avenues  of  foliage,  the  gay  equipages  of  the 
aristocracy  may  be  seen  rolling  to  and  from  the  paseo — President 
Herrera,  in  a  light,  open  carriage,  followed  by  a  guard  of  honor, 
among  them.  We  roamed  through  the  cool,  shaded  walks,  find 
ing  sufficient  amusement  in  the  curious  groups  and  characters  we 
constantly  met  until  the  afternoon  shadows  grew  long  and  the  sun 
had  nearly  touched  the  Nevada  of  Toluca.  Then,  joining  the  in 
creasing  crowd,  we  followed  the  string  of  carriages  past  a  guard 
house  where  a  company  of  trumpeters  shattered  all  the  surround 
ing  air  by  incessant  prolonged  blasts,  that  nearly  tore  up  the 
paving-stones.  A  beautiful  road,  planted  with  trees,  and  flanked 
by  convenient  stone  benches,  extended  beyond  for  about  a  mile, 
having  a  circle  at  its  further  end,  around  which  the  carriages 
passed,  and  took  their  stations  in  the  return  line.  We  sat  down 
on  one  of  the  benches  facing  the  ring,  enjoying  the  tranquillity  of 
the  sunset  and  the  animation  of*  the  scene  before  us.  The  towers 
of  Mexico  rose  behind  us,  above  the  gardens  which  belt  the  city ; 
the  rock  of  Chapultepec  was  just  visible  in  front,  and  far  to  the 
south-east,  a  snowy  glimmer,  out  of  the  midst  of  a  pile  of  clouds, 
revealed  the  cone  of  Popocatapetl.  Among  the  equipages  were 
some  of  great  magnificence :  that  of  Don  Gaetano  Rubio  was 
perhaps  the  most  costly.  Large  American  horses  are  in  great 
demand  for  these  displays,  and  a  thousand  dollars  a  pair  is  fre 
quently  paid  for  them.  The  mixture  of  imported  vehicles — Eng 
lish,  French  and  American — with  the  bomb-proof  arks  and  move- 
able  fortifications  of  the  country,  was  very  amusing,  though  their 
contrast  was  not  more  marked  than  that  of  the  occupants.  The 
great  ambition  of  a  Mexican  family  is  to  ride  in  a  carriage  on  all 
public  occasions,  and  there  are  hundreds  who  starve  themselves 


SMOKING    IN    THE    THEATRE.  403 

on  tortillas  and  deny  themselves  every  comfort  but  the  cigarito, 
that  they  may  pay  the  necessary  hire. 

I  went  one  evening  to  the  Teatro  de  Santa  Anna,  which  is  one 
of  the  finest  theatres  in  the  world.  On  this  occasion,  the  per 
formance  might  have  honorably  stood  the  ordeal  of  even  Paris 
criticism.  There  was  a  ballet  by  the  Monplaisir  troupe,  songs  by 
the  prima  donna  of  the  native  opera  and  violin  solos  by  Franz 
Coenen.  The  theatre  is  very  large,  having,  if  I  remember  rightly, 
five  tiers  of  boxes,  yet  it  was  crowded  in  every  part.  There  was 
a  great  display  of  costly  dresses  and  jewelry,  but  I  saw  much  less 
beauty  than  on  the  moonlit  plaza  of  Guadalajara.  The  tendency 
of  the  Mexican  women  to  corpulency  very  soon  destroys  the  bloom 
and  graces  of  youth  ;  indeed,  their  season  of  beauty  is  even  more 
brief  than  in  the  United  States.  Between  the  acts  the  spectators 
invariably  fell  to  smoking.  The  gentlemen  lit  their  puros,  the 
ladies  produced  their  delicate  boxes  of  cigaritos  and  their  matches, 
and  for  some  minutes  after  the  curtain  fell,  there  was  a  continual 
snapping  and  fizzing  of  brimstone  all  over  the  house.  By  the  time 
the  curtain  was  ready  to  rise,  the  air  was  sensibly  obscured,  and 
the  chandeliers  glimmered  through  a  blue  haze.  At  home, 'this 
habit  of  smoking  by  the  ladies  is  rather  graceful  and  pretty  ;  the 
fine  paper  cigar  is  handled  with  an  elegance  that  shows  off  the 
little  arts  and  courtesies  of  Spanish  character,  with  the  same  effect 
as  a  fan  or  a  bouquet ;  but  a  whole  congregation  of  women  smok 
ing  together,  I  must  admit,  did  take  away  much  of  the  reverence 
with  which  we  are  wont  to  regard  the  sex.  Because  a  lady  may 
be  a  Juno  in  beauty,  is  no  reason  why  she  should  thus  retire  into 
H  cloud — nor  is  the  odor  of  stale  tobacco  particularly  Olympian 

The  streets  of  Mexico  are  always  an  interesting  study.     Even 


40-i  ELDORADO. 

after  visiting  tLe  other  large  cities  of  the  Republic,  one  is  horc  in 
troduced  to  new  and  interesting  types  of  Mexican  humanity. 
Faces  of  the  pure  Aztec  blood  are  still  to  be  found  in  the  squares 
and  market-places,  and  the  canal  which  joins  Lakes  Chalco  and 
Tezcuco  is  filled  with  their  flat  canoes,  laden  with  fruits,  vegetables 
and  flowers.  They  have  degenerated  in  everything  but  their  hos 
tility  to  the  Spanish  race,  which  is  almost  as  strong  as  in  the  days 
of  Montezuma.  The  leper os  constitute  another  and  still  more  dis 
gusting  class ;  no  part  of  the  city  is  free  from  them.  They  im 
plore  you  for  alms  with  bended  knees  and  clasped  hands,  at  every 
turn  ;  theypick  your  pockets  in  broad  daylight,  or  snatch  away 
your  cloak  if  there  is  a  good  opportunity  ;  and  if  it  be  an  object 
with  any  one  to  have  you  removed  from  this  sphere  of  being,  they 
will  murder  you  for  a  small  consideration.  The  second  night  I 
spent  in  Mexico,  my  pocket  was  picked  in  the  act  of  passing  a 
corner  where  two  or  three  of  them  were  standing  in  a  group.  I 
discovered  the  loss  before  I  had  gone  ten  steps  further  ;  but, 
though  I  turned  immediately,  there  was  no  one  to  be  seen.  The 
aguadores,  or  water-carriers,  are  another  interesting  class,  as  they 
go  about  with  heavy  earthen  jars  suspended  on  their  backs  by  a 
band  about  the  forehead,  and  another]  smaller  jar  swinging  in 
front  to  balance  it,  by  a  band  over  the  top  of  the  head.  The 
priests,  in  their  black  cassocks  and  shovel  hats  with  brims  a  yard 
long,  are  curious  figures  ;  the  monasteries  in  the  city  send  out 
large  numbers  of  fat  and  sensual  friars,  whose  conduct  even  in  pub 
lic  is  a  scandal  to  the  respectable  part  of  the  community.  In  all 
the  features  of  its  out-door  life,  Mexico  is  quite  as  motley  and 
picturesque  as  any  of  the  old  cities  of  Spain.  The  Republic 
Beems  to  have  in  no  way  changed  the  ancient  order,  except  bjf 


AZTEC    ANTIQUITIES.  405 

tearing  down  all  the  emblems  of  royalty  and  substituting  the  eagle 
and  cactus  in  their  stead. 

The  scarcity  of  all  antiquities  of  the  Aztec  race,  will  strike 
travelers  who  visit  the  city.  Not  one  stone  of  the  ancient  capital 
has  been  left  upon  another,  while,  by  the  gradual  recession  of  the 
waters  of  the  lakes,  the  present  Mexico,  though  built  precisely  on 
the  site  of  the  ancient  one,  stands  on  dry  ground.  There  are  fre 
quently  inundations,  it  is  true,  caused  by  long-continued  rains, 
which  the  mountain  slopes  to  the  north-east  and  south-west  send 
into  the  valley,  but  the  construction  of  the  Desagua — an  immense 
canal  connecting  Lake  Tezcuco  with  the  Rio  Montezuma — has 
greatly  lessened  the  danger.  Of  all  the  temples,  palaces,  and 
public  edifices  of  the  Aztecs,  the  only  remains  are  the  celebrated 
Calendar,  built  into  one  corner  of  the  cathedral,  the  Sacrificial 
Stone  and  a  collection  of  granite  gods  in  the  National  Museum. 
The  Calendar  is  an  immense  circular  stone,  probably  ten  feet  in 
diameter,  containing  the  divisions  of  the  Aztec  year,  and  the  as 
tronomical  signs  used  by  that  remarkable  people.  The  remaining 
antiquities  are  piled  up  neglectedly  in  the  court-yard  of  the  Mu 
seum,  where  the  stupid  natives  come  to  stare  at  them,  awed,  yet 
apparently  fascinated  by  their  huge,  terrible  features.  The 
Sacrificial  Stone  is  in  perfect  preservation.  It  is  like  a  great 
mill-stone  of  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  diameter,  with  a  hollow  in 
the  centre,  from  which  a  groove  slants  to  the  edge,  to  carry  away 
the  blood  of  the  victim.  Scattered  around  it  on  the  pavement 
were  idols  of  all  grotesque  forms,  feathered  serpents  and  hideous 
combinations  of  human  and  animal  figures.  The  Aztec  war-god, 
Quetzalcoatl,  was  the  hugest  and  most  striking  of  all.  He  was 
about  fourteen  feet  in  height,  with  four  faces,  and  as  many 
pairs  of  arms  and  legs,  fronting  towards  the  quarters  of  the  com- 


403  ELDORADO. 

pass ;  his  mouth  was  open  and  tongue  projecting,  and  in  the 
hollow  thus  formed,  the  heart  of  the  victim  was  thrust,  while  yet 
warm  and  palpitating.  His  grim  features  struck  me  with  awe 
and  something  like  terror,  when  I  thought  of  the  thousands  of  hu<- 
man  hearts  that  had  stained  his  insatiate  tongues.  Here,  at  least, 
the  Aztecs  had  a  truer  conception  of  the  Spirit  of  War  than  our 
selves.  We  still  retain  the  Mars  of  the  poetic  Greeks — a  figure 
of  strength  and  energy,  and  glorious  ardor  only — not  the  grand 
monster  which  all  barbaric  tribes,  to  whom  war  is  a  natural  instinct, 
build  for  their  worship. 

There  are  some  relics  of  the  Spanish  race  in  this  museum, 
which  I  should  not  omit  to  mention.  In  one  dusty  corner,  be 
hind  a  little  wooden  railing,  are  exhibited  the  coats-of-mail  of 
Cortez  and  Alvarado.  The  great  Cortez,  to  judge  from  his  helmet, 
breast-plate  and  cuishes,  was  a  short,  broad-chested  and  powerful 
man — the  very  build  for  daring  and  endurance.  Alvarado  was  a 
little  taller  and  more  slight,  which  may  account  for  his  celebrated 
leap — the  measure  of  which  is  still  shown  on  a  wall  near  the  city, 
though  the  ditch  is  filled  up.  In  the  centre  of  the4  court-yard 
stands  the  celebrated  equestrian  statue  of  Charles  IV.,  by  the 
Mexican  sculptor,  Tolsa.  It  is  of  bronze,  and  colossal  size.  In 
the  general  spirit  and  forward  action  of  the  figures,  it  is  one  of 
the  best  equestrian  statues  in  the  world.  The  horse,  which 
was  modeled  from  an  Andalusian  stallion  of  pure  blood,  has 
been  censured.  It  differs,  in  fact,  very  greatly  from  the  per 
fect  Grecian  model,  especially  in  the  heavy  chest  and  short 
round  flank  ;  but  those  who  have  seen  the  Andalusian  horse 
consider  it  a  perfect  type  of  that  breed.  It  is  a  work  in  which 
Mexico  may  well  glory,  for  any  country  might  be  proud  to  have 
produced  it. 


CHAPTER  XL 

MEXICAN    POLITICS    AND    POLITICAL    MEN. 

I  SPENT  one  morning  during  my  stay  in  Mexico,  in  visiting  both 
Houses  of  the  Mexican  Congress,  which  were  then  in  session,  in 
the  National  Palace.  I  could  not  but  regret,  on  approaching  this 
edifice,  that  so  fine  an  opportunity  for  architectural  effect  had 
been  lost  through  a  clumsy  and  incongruous  plan  of  building. 
The  front  of  five  hundred  feet,  had  it  been  raised  another  story, 
and  its  flat  pink  surface  relieved  by  a  few  simple  pilasters  and  cor 
nices,  would  have  equaled  that  of  the  Pitti  Palace  or  the  Royal 
Residenz  in  Munich.  One  of  its  court-yards,  with  a  fountain  in 
the  centre  and  double  gallery  running  around  the  four  sides,  is 
nevertheless  complete  and  very  beautiful.  While  looking  out  of 
the  windows  of  the  Palace  on  the  magnificent  square,  the  foremost 
picture  in  my  mind's  eye  was  not  that  of  Cortez  and  Alvarado, 
battling  their  way  back  to  Tlascala,  after  the  "  Noche  Triste  ;" 
not  that  of  the  splendid  trains  of  the  Viceroys  of  yet  powerful 
Spain  ;  but  the  triumphal  entry  of  Scott,  when  the  little  army  that 
had  fought  its  way  in  from  Chapultepec,  greeted  his  appearance 
on  the  Plaza  with  huzzas  that  brought  tears  even  into  Mexican 
eyes.  Think  as  one  may  of  the  character  of  the  war,  there  are 
scenes  in  it  which  stir  the  blood  and  brighten  the  eye. 


408  ELDORADO. 

Mr.  Belden,  an  American  many  years  resident  in  Mexico,  ac 
companied  me  to  the  Halls  of  Congress,  and  pointed  out  the  prin 
cipal  characters  present.  We  first  visited  the  Senate  Chamber — 
a  small  elliptical  room  in  the  centre  of  the  Palace.  There  were 
no  desks  except  for  the  Secretaries,  the  members  being  seated  on 
a  continuous  bench,  which  ran  around  the  room,  with  a  rail  in  front 
of  it.  Probably  two-thirds  of  the  Senators — fifteen  or  twenty  in 
all — were  present.  The  best  head  among  them  is  that  of  Otero, 
who,  I  think,  was  one  of  the  Cabinet  during  the  war.  He  is  a 
large,  strongly-built  man,  with  features  expressing  not  only  intel 
ligence,  but  power.  At  the  end  of  the  room  sat  Don  Luis  Cuevas, 
one  of  the  Commissioners  who  signed  the  Treaty  of  Gruadalupe 
Hidalgo — a  man  of  polished  bearing,  and,  from  appearance,  some 
thing  of  a  diplomat.  Gren.  Almonte,  whose  low  forehead,  broad 
cheek-bones  and  dark  skin  betray  his  Indian  blood,  occupied  the 
seat  next  to  Pedraza,  the  President  of  a  few  days  during  a  revo 
lution  in  1828.  Almonte  is  the  son  of  the  Liberator  Morelos, 
and  that  circumstance  alone  gave  him  an  interest  in  my  eyes. 

The  demeanor  of  the  Senate  is  exceedingly  quiet  and  grave. 
The  speeches  are  short,  though  not,  in  consequence,  always  to  the 
point.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  told  that  any  definite  action  on  any 
subject  is  as  difficult  to  be  had  as  in  our  own  Congress.  It  is 
better,  however,  to  do  nothing  decorously,  than  after  a  riotous 
fashion. 

The  Hall  of  Congress  fronts  on  one  of  the  inner  courts  of  the 
Palace.  It  is  semi-circular  in  form,  and  lighted  by  windows  of 
blue  glass,  near  the  top.  As  in  the  Senate,  the  members  have  no 
desks,  but  are  ranged  along  two  semi-circular  benches,  the  outer  one 
raised  a  step  from  the  floor.  The  Speaker  sits  on  a  broad  plat 
form,  in  front  of  the  centre  of  the  chord,  with  two  Secretaries  on 


THE    HALL    OF    CONGRESS.  409 

eacli  band.  At  each  corner  of  the  platform  is  a  circular  pulpit, 
just  large  enough  to  take  in  a  spare  man  nearly  to  the  armpits 
They  are  used  by  the  members  for  set  harangues.  Behind  the 
Speaker's  chair,  and  elevated  above  it,  is  a  sort  of  throne  with 
two  seats,  under  a  crimson  canopy.  Here,  the  President  of  the 
Republic  and  the  Speaker  of  Congress  take  their  seats,  at  the 
opening  and  close  of  each  Session.  Above  the  canopy,  in  a  gilded 
frame,  on  a  ground  of  the  Mexican  tricolor,  hangs  the  sword  of 
Iturbide.  A  picture  of  the  Virgin  of  G-uadalupe,  with  her  blue 
mantle  and  silver  stars,  completes  the  decorations.  Around  the 
architrave  of  the  pillars  which  form  the  semi-circle  and  across  the 
cornice  of  the  cnord,  are  inscribed,  in  letters  of  gold,  the  names 
of  the  Mexican  Chiefs  of  the  War  of  Independence — conspicuous 
among  them  those  of  Morelos,  Bravo,  Victoria  and  Mina. 

The  Mexican  Congress  elects  its  Speaker  monthly.  The  in 
cumbent  at  the  time,  Portillo,  was  a  young  man,  who  presided 
with  admirable  dignity  and  decorum.  As  in  the  Senate,  the 
members  exhibit  a  grave  and  courteous  demeanor  ;  the  etiquette 
of  dignified  legislation,  I  presume,  is  never  violated.  The  only 
notable  Representative  present  was  Arrangoiz,  whose  name  is  well 
known  in  the  United  States.  I  was  disappointed  in  not  seeing 
Alaman,  the  head  of  the  Monarchist  faction,  Editor  of  the  Uni 
versal ,  and  author  of  an  excellent  History  of  Mexico,  then  in  the 
course  of  publication.  Two  or  three  short  speeches  were  made 
during  my  visit,  but  I  was  not  sufficiently  versed  either  in  the  lan 
guage  or  politics,  to  get  more  than  the  general  drift  of  them. 
Congress  appeared  to  be  doing  nothing  satisfactory  ;  the  thinking 
population  (a  very  small  number)  were  discontented,  and  with 
reason.  A  short  time  previous,  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of 

Finance  came  up  for  discussion.     After  engaging  the  House  for 
18 


410  ELDORADO. 

several  days,  during  which  many  warm  speeches  were  made  on 
both  sides,  all  seemed  ready  for  a  decision  ;  when,  lo  !  the  mem 
bers  suddenly  determined  that  they  had  no  right  to  vote  upon  it ! 
One  o'clock  the  same  afternoon  was  the  hour  appointed  for  the 
presentation  of  Mr.  Letcher,  the  new  Envoy  from  the  United 
States.  On  coming  out  of  the  Senate  Chamber  we  noticed  that 
the  corridor  leading  to  the  rooms  of  the  President  was  deserted  by 
the  groups  of  officers  in  full  uniform  who  had  been  lounging  about 
the  door.  Entering  the  ante-chamber,  we  found  that  Mr.  Letchej , 
with  Mr.  Walsh,  Secretary  of  Legation,  had  just  passed  into  the 
Hall  of  Audience.  Mr.  Belden  was  well  known  to  all  the  officers 
of  Government,  and  his  company  procured  us  admission  at  once 
We  took  our  places  among  the  Secretaries  of  the  different  De 
partments,  about  half  way  up  the  Hall.  Gen.  Herrera,  the  Presi 
dent,  was  seated  on  a  platform  at  the  end  of  the  room,  under  a 
crimson  canopy,  having  on  his  right  hand  Lacunza,  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  and  on  his  left  Castaneda,  Minister  of  Justice 
The  other  Ministers,  with  a  number  of  officers  of  the  General 
Staff,  were  ranged  at  the  foot  of  the  platform.  Mr.  Letcher  had 
just  commenced  his  address  as  we  entered.  He  appeared  slightly 
embarrassed  during  the  first  phrases,  but  soon  recovered  the  proper 
composure.  I  had  no  doubt,  however,  that  he  would  have  felt 
much  more  at  home  in  making  a  stump  speech  in  his  native  Ken 
tucky.  His  address  consisted  mainly  of  expressions  of  good  will 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  and  a  desire  for  more  intimate 
and  amicable  relations  between  the  two  Governments.  Gen.  Her 
rera,  on  receiving  the  letters  accrediting  Mr.  Letcher,  replied  in  a 
neat  speech,  cordially  responding  to  the  expressions  of  amity  which 
had  been  made,  and  invoking  for  both  nations  the  same  harmony 


HERRERA    AND    HIS    GOVERNMENT  411 

in  their  mutual  relations  as  they  already  possessed  in  their  consti 
tutional  forms. 

After  the  interchange  of  a  few  compliments,  Mr.  L etcher  took 
his  leave,  and  immediately  afterwards  the  President  rose  and  left 
the  hall,  in  company  with  his  Ministers.  He  bowed  to  us  in  pass 
ing,  probably  recognizing  us  as  Americans.  He  is  a  man  of  about 
sixty,  of  short  stature,  and  with  a  countenance  whose  prominent 
expression  is  honesty  and  benevolence.  This  corresponds  with 
the  popular  idea  of  his  character.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent 
heart,  but  lacks  energy  and  determination.  His  Government^ 
though  quiet  and  peaceful  enough  at  present,  is  not  sufficiently 
strong  for  Mexico.  So  long  as  the  several  States  continue  to  defy 
and  violate  the  Federal  Compact,  a  powerful  Head  is  needed  to 
the  General  Government.  The  rule  of  Herrera  met  with  no  open 
opposition  At  the  time  of  my  visit,  the  country  was  perfectly 
quiet.  The  insurrection  in  the  Sierra  Madre  had  been  entirely 
quelled,  and  the  ravages  of  the  Indians  in  Durango  and  Chihuahua 
appeared  to  have  subsided  for  a  time.  Nevertheless,  the  Conser 
vative  party,  whose  tendency  is  towards  a  monarchy,  was  said  to 
be  on  the  increase — a  fact  no  doubt  attributable  to  the  influence 
and  abilities  of  Alaman,  its  avowed  leader.  The  name  of  Santa 
Anna- had  been  brought  forward  by  his  friends,  as  a  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  district  of  the  Capital,  though  his  success  was 
scarcely  a  matter  of  hope. 

The  Government  was  still  deeply  embarrassed  by  its  forced 
loans,  and  Congress  took  the  very  worst  means  to  settle  its  diffi 
culty.  A  committee,  appointed  to  report  some  plan  of  settlement, 
made  the  following  propositions,  which  I  here  give,  as  a  curiosity 
in  legislation  : — 1.  That  the  Government  be  authorized  to  make 
an  amicable  arrangement  with  its  creditors,  within  the  space  of 


j  '  .-)  ELDORADO. 

forty  days.  (!)  2.  That  such  arrangement  cannot  take  effect 
without  the  approbation  of  Congress ;  (!!)  and  3.  That  the  Go 
vernment  be  authorized  to  accept  a  further  sum  of  $300,000  on 
the  American  indemnity.  The  resignation  of  Sefior  Elorriaga, 
the  Minister  of  Finance,  was  fully  expected,  and  took  place,  in 
fact,  about  three  weeks  after  I  left.  Very  few  Ministers  hold  this 
office  more  than  two  or  three  months.  The  entire  want  of  confi 
dence  between  the  Executive  and  Legislative  Departments  utterly 
destroys  the  efficiency  of  the  Mexican  Government.  The  Minis 
ters  wear  a  chain,  which  is  sometimes  so  shortened  by  the  caprice 
of  Congress,  that  the  proper  exercise  of  their  functions  is  rendered 
impossible. 

Several  of  the  States  had  a  short  time  previous  been  taking 
singular  liberties  with  the  Constitution.  For  instance,  the  Legis 
latures  of  Zacatecas,  Durango  and  Jalisco,  had  separately  passed 
laws  regulating  the  revenue  not  only  on  internal  commerce,  but 
foreign  imports  !  The  duties  on  many  articles  were  enormous, 
as,  for  instance,  in  the  State  of  Jalisco,  37  1-2  cents  per  Ib.  on 
tobacco,  and  75  cents  on  snuff.  Zacatecas,  with  a  curious  dis 
crimination,  imposed  a  duty  of  12  1-2  per  cent,  on  home  manu 
factures,  and  5  per  cent,  on  foreign  merchandise  !  In  such  a 
state  of  things  one  knows  not  which  most  to  wonder  at,  the 
audacity  of  the  States,  or  the  patient  sufferance  of  the  Supreme 
Government. 

I  scanned  with  some  curiosity  the  faces  and  forms  of  the  chief 
officers  of  the  Republic  as  they  passed. 

Herrera  wore  the  uniform  of  a  general — a  more  simple  costume 
than  that  of  the  other  officers  present,  whose  coats  were  orna 
mented  with  red  facings  and  a  profusion  of  gold  embroidery.  The 
Ministers,  except  Arista,  were  dressed  in  plain  suits  of  black 


THE    MINISTERS EDITORS.  413 

Lacunza  is  a  man  of  low  stature  and  dark  complexion,  and  a 
barely  perceptible  cast  of  shrewdness  is  mingled  with  the  natural 
intelligence  of  his  features.  Castaneda,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
tall,  thin,  with  a  face  of  which  you  are  certain,  at  the  first  glancej 
that  it  knows  how  to  keep  its  owner's  secrets.  The  finest-looking 
man  present  was  G-en.  Arista,  who  is  six  feet  high,  and  stout  in 
proportion,  with  a  large  head,  light  hair  closely  cropped,  fair  com 
plexion  and  gray  eyes.  From  the  cast  of  his  features,  one  would 
take  him  to  be  a  great  overgrown  Scotch  boy,  who  had  somehow 
blundered  into  a  generalship.  He  is  said  to  have  the  most  in 
fluential  hand  in  the  Cabinet.  Among  the  States  of  the  North 
there  is,  as  is  well  known,  a  powerful  party  devoted  to  his  in 
terests. 

While  in  Mexico,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  Don 
Vicente  Garcia  Torres,  the  talented  editor  of  the  Monitor  Re- 
publicano,  as  well  as  with  several  of  the  writers  for  El  Siglo  Diez 
y  Nutve.  To  M.  Rene  Masson,  the  enterprising  editor  and  pro 
prietor  of  Le  Trait  D^Union,  (the  only  foreign  journal  in 
Mexico,)  I  was  also  indebted  for  many  courteous  attentions. 
His  paper  is  conducted  with  more  industry  and  gives  a  more  in 
telligible  view  of  Mexican  affairs  than  any  of  the  native  prints. 
The  Count  de  la  Cortina,  the  most  accomplished  writer  in 
Mexico,  and  author  of  several  works,  was  pointed  out  to  me  in  the 
street  one  day.  He  possesses  a  princely  fortune  and  the  finest 
picture-gallery  in  America. 


CHAPTER  ILL 

RIDES    TO    CHAPULTEPEC    AND    GUADALUPE. 

No  American,  whatever  be  his  moral  creed  or  political 
sentiments,  should  pass  through  Mexico  without  a  visit  to  the 
battle-fields  in  the  Valley,  where  his  country's  arms  obtained 
such  signal  triumphs.  To  me  they  had  a  more  direct,  thrilling  in 
terest  than  the  remains  of  Aztec  Empire  or  the  Spanish  Vice- 
royalty.  I  was  fortunate  in  seeing  them  with  a  companion,  to 
whom  every  rood  of  ground  was  familiar,  and  who  could  trace  all 
the  operations  of  Scott's  army,  from  San  Augustin  to  the  Grand 
Plaza  in  the  city.  We  started  for  Chapultepec  one  fine  afternoon, 
with  Mr.  Belden,  taking  his  carriage  and  span  of  black  mules.  We 
drove  first  to  the  Garita  de  Belen,  where  one  of  the  aqueducts 
enters  the  city.  Here  a  strong  barricade  was  carried  after  the 
taking  of  Chapultepec  by  Pillow's  division,  while  Worth,  follow 
ing  down  the  line  of  the  other  aqueduct,  got  possession  of  the 
Garita  de  San  Cosme.  The  brick  arches  are  chipped  with  shot, 
for  the  whole  distance  of  three  miles.  The  American  troops  ad 
vanced  by  springing  from  arch  to  arch,  being  exposed,  as  they 
approached  the  Garita,  to  a  cross-fire  from  two  batteries.  The 
running  battle  of  the  Aqueducts,  from  Chapultepec  to  Mexico, 
a  distance  of  three  miles,  was  a  brilliant  achievement,  and  had 


MONTEZUMA'S  GARDEN.  415 

not  our  forces  been  so  flushed  and  excited  with  the  storming  of 
the  height,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Mexicans  proportionately  lessened, 
the  slaughter  must  have  been  terrible. 

We  followed  the  aqueduct,  looking  through  its  arches  on  the 
green  wheat-fields  of  the  Yalley,  the  shining  villages  in  the  dis 
tance  and  sometimes  the  volcanoes,  as  the  clouds  grew  thinner 
about  their  white  summits.  At  last,  we  reached  the  gate 
of  Chapultepec.  Mr.  Belden  was  known  to  the  officer  on  guard, 
and  we  passed  unchallenged  into  the  shade  of  Montezuma's  cy 
presses.  Chapultepec  is  a  volcanic  hill,  probably  two  hundred 
feet  in  height,  standing  isolated  on  the  level  floor  of  the  valley. 
Around  its  base  is  the  grove  of  cypress  trees,  known  as  Montezu 
ma's  Garden — great,  gnarled  trunks,  which  have  been  formed  by 
the  annual  rings  of  a  thousand  years,  bearing  aloft  a  burden  of 
heavy  and  wide-extending  boughs,  with  venerable  beards  of  gray 
moss.  The  changeless  black-green  of  the  foliage,  the  dull,  wintry 
hue  of  the  moss,  and  the  gloomy  shadows  which  always  invest  this 
grove,  spoke  to  me  more  solemnly  of  the  Past — of  ancient  empire, 
now  overthrown,  ancient  splendor,  now  fallen  into  dust,  and  an 
cient  creeds  now  forgotten  and  contemned, — than  the  shattered 
pillars  of  the  Roman  Forum  or  the  violated  tombs  of  Etruria.  I 
saw  them  on  a  shaded,  windless  day,  with  faint  glimmerings  of 
sunshine  between  the  black  and  heavy  masses  of  cloud.  The  air 
was  so  still  that  not  a  filament  of  the  long  mossy  streamers  trem 
bled  ;  the  trees  stood  like  giant  images  of  bronze  around  the  rocky 
foot  of  the  hill.  The  father  of  the  band,  who,  like  a  hoary-headed 
seneschal,  is  stationed  at  the  base  of  the  ascending  carriage-way, 
measures  forty-five  feet  in  circumference,  and  there  are  in  the 
grove  several  others  of  dimensions  but  little  inferior.  The  first 


41G  ELDORADO. 

onset  of  our  troops,  in  storming  Chapultepec,  was  made  under 
cover  of  these  trees. 

Leaving  our  carriage  and  mules  in  charge  of  the  old  cypress,  we 
climbed  the  hill  on  foot.  The  zigzag  road  still  retains  its  embank 
ment  of  adobes  and  the  small  corner-batteries  thrown  up  in  anti 
cipation  of  the  attack  ;  the  marks  of  the  cannon-balls  from  Tacu 
baya  and  the  high  ground  behind  Molino  del  Rey,  are  everywhere 
\isible.  The  fortress  on  the  summit  of  Chapultepec  has  been  for 
many  years  used  as  a  National  Military  Academy.  We  found  a 
company  of  the  cadets  playing  ball  on  a  graveled  terrace  in  front 
of  the  entrance.  One  of  them  escorted  us  to  the  private  apart 
ments  of  the  commanding  officer,  which  are  built  along  the  edge 
of  a  crag,  on  the  side  towards  Mexico.  Mr.  Belden  was  well  ac 
quainted  with  the  officer,  but,  unfortunately,  he  was  absent.  His 
wife,  however,  received  us  with  great  courtesy  and  sent  for  one  of 
the  Lieutenants  attached  to  the  Academy.  A  splendid  Munich 
telescope  was  brought  from  the  observatory,  and  we  adjourned  to 
the  balcony  for  a  view  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

I  wish  there  was  a  perspective  in  words — something  beyond  the 
mere  suggestiveness  of  sound — some  truer  representative  of  color, 
and  light,  and  grand  aerial  distance  ;  for  I  scarcely  know  how  else 
to  paint  the  world-wide  panorama  spread  around  me.  Chapultepec, 
as  I  have  said  before,  stands  isolated  in  the  centre  of  the  Valley 
The  mountains  of  Toluca  approach  to  within  fifteen  miles  beyond 
Tacubaya,  and  the  island-like  hills  of  Gruadalupe  are  not  very  dis 
tant,  on  the  opposite  side ;  but  in  nearly  every  other  direction 
the  valley  fades  away  for  fifty  or  sixty  miles  before  striking  the 
foot  of  the  mountains.  The  forms  of  the  chains  which  wall  in 
this  little  world  are  made  irregular  and  wonderfully  picturesque 
by  the  embaying  curves  of  the  Valley — now  receding  far  and  faint, 


THE  PANORAMA  OF  THE  VALLEY.  417 

now  piled  nearer  in  rugged  and  barren  grandeur,  now  tipped  with 
a  spot  of  snow,  like  the  Volcano  of  Toluca,  or  shooting  far  into 
the  sky  a  dazzling  cone,  like   cloud-girdled  Popocatapel.     But 
the  matchless  Valley — how  shall  I  describe  that  ?    How  reflect  on 
this  poor  page  its  boundless  painting  of  fields  and  gardens,  its  sil 
very  plantations  of  aloes,  its  fertilizing  canals,  its  shimmering 
lakes,  embowered  villages  and  convents,  and  the  many-towered  ca 
pital  in  the  centre — the  boss  of  its  great  enameled  shield  ?  Before  ua 
the  aqueducts  ran  on  their  thousand  arches  towards  the  city,  the 
water  sparkling  in  their  open  tops  ;  the  towers  of  the  cathedral, 
touched  with  a  break  of  sunshine,  shone  white  as  silver  against  the 
cloud-shadowed  mountains  ;  Tacubaya  lay  behind,  with  its  palaces 
and  gardens  ;  farther  to  the  north  Tacuba,  with  the  lone  cypress 
of  the  "  Noche  Triste,"  and  eastward,  on  the  point  of  a  mountain- 
cape  shooting  out  towards  Lake  Tezcuco,  we  saw  the  shrine  of 
Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe.     Around  the  foot  of  our  rocky  watch- 
tower,  we  looked  down  on  the  heads  of  the  cypresses,  out  of  whose 
dark  masses  it  seemed  to  rise,  sundered  by  that  weird  ring  from 
the  warmth  and  light  and  beauty  of  the  far-reaching  valley-world. 
We  overlooked  all  the  battle-grounds  of  the  Valley,  but  I  felt 
a  hesitancy  at  first  in  asking  the  Lieutenant  to  point  out  the  lo 
calities.     Mr.  Belden  at  length  asked  whether  we  could  see  the 
height  of  Padierna,  or  the  pedregal  (field  of  lava)  which  lies  to 
the  left  of  it.     The  officer  immediately  understood  our  wish,  and 
turning  the  glass  first  upon  the  Pefion  Grande,  (an  isolated  hill 
near  Ayotla,)  traced  the  march  of  Gen.  Scott's  army  around  Lake 
Chalco  to  the  town  of  San  Augustin,  near  which  the  first  hostilities 
commenced.     We  could  see  but  a  portion  of  the  field  of  Padierna, 
more  familiarly  known  as  Contreras.     It  lies  on  the  lower  slopes 
of  the  Nevada  of  Toluca,  and  overlooking  the  scenes  of  the  subse- 


418  ELDORADO. 

quent  actions.  The  country  is  rough  and  broken,  and  the  cross* 
ing  of  the  famed  pedregal,  from  the  far  glimpse  I  had  of  the 
ground,  must  have  been  a  work  of  great  labor  and  pool.  Nearly 
east  of  this,  on  the  dead  level  of  the  valley,  is  the  memorable  field 
of  Churubusco.  The  t§te  de  pont,  where  the  brunt  of  the  battle 
took  place,  was  distinctly  visible,  and  I  could  count  every  tree  in 
the  gardens  of  the  convent.  The  panic  of  the  Mexicans  on  the 
evening  after  the  fight  at  Churubusco  was  described  to  me  as  hav 
ing  been  without  bounds.  Foreigners  residing  in  the  capital  say 
it  might  then  have  been  taken  with  scarce  a  blow. 

Beyond  Tacubaya,  we  saw  the  houses  of  Miscoac,  where  the 
army  was  stationed  for  some  time  before  it  advanced  to  the  former 
place.  Gen.  Scott's  head-quarters  was  in  the  Bishop's  Palace  at 
Tacubaya,  which  is  distinctly  seen  from  Chapultepec  and  within 
actual  reach  of  its  guns.  On  an  upland  slope  north  of  the  village 
and  towards  Tacuba  the  shattered  walls  of  the  Casa  Mata  were 
pointed  out.  Near  at  hand — almost  at  the  very  base  of  the 
hill — rose  the  white  gable  of  Molino  del  Key.  The  march  of  the 
attacking  lines  could  be  as  distinctly  traced  as  on  a  map.  How 
Chapultepec,  which  commands  every  step  of  the  way,  could  be 
stormed  and  carried  with  such  a  small  force,  seems  almost  mira 
culous.  Persons  who  witnessed  the  affair  from  Tacubaya  told  me 
that  the  yells  of  the  American  troops  as  they  ascended  the  hill  in 
the  face  of  a  deadly  hail  of  grape-shot,  were  absolutely  terrific  ; 
when  they  reached  the  top  the  Mexicans  seemed  to  lose  all  thought 
of  further  defence,  pouring  in  bewildered  masses  out  of  the  doors 
and  windows  nearest  the  city,  and  tumbling  like  a  torrent  of  water 
down  the  steep  rocks.  The  Lieutenant,  who  was  in  Chapultepec 
at  the  time,  said  that  one  thousand  and  fifty  bombs  fell  on  the 
fortress  before  the  assault ;  the  main  tower,  the  battlements  and 


MEXICAN    FEELING    TOWARDS    THE    UNITED    STATES.        419 

stairways  are  still  broken  and  shattered  from  their  effects.  "  Here," 
said  he,  as  we  walked  along  the  summit  terrace,  "  fifty  of  ours  lie 
buried  ;  and  down  yonder" — pointing  to  the  foot  of  the  hill — "  so 
many  that  they  were  never  counted."  I  was  deeply  moved  by  his 
calm,  sad  manner,  as  he  talked  thus  of  the  defeat  and  slaughter  of 
his  countrymen.  I  felt  like  a  participant  in  the  injury,  and  al 
most  wished  that  he  had  spoken  of  us  with  hate  and  reproach. 

I  do  not  believe,  however,  that  Mexican  enmity  to  the  United 
States  has  been  increased  by  the  war,  but  rather  the  contrary. 
During  all  my  stay  in  the  country  I  never  heard  a  bitter  word  said 
against  us.  The  officers  of  our  army  seem  to  have  made  friends 
everywhere,  and  the  war,  by  throwing  the  natives  into  direct  con 
tact  with  foreigners,  has  greatly  abated  their  former  prejudice 
against  all  not  of  Spanish  blood.  The  departure  of  our  troops  was 
a  cause  of  general  lamentation  among  the  tradesmen  of  Mexico 
and  Yera  Cruz.  Nothing  was  more  common  to  me  than  to  hear 
G-enerals  Scott  and  Taylor  mentioned  by  the  Mexicans  in  terms 
of  entire  respect  and  admiration.  "  If  you  should  see  General 
Taylor,"  said  a  very  intelligent  gentleman  to  me,  "  tell  him  that 
the  Mexicans  alj  honor  him.  He  has  never  given  up  their  houses 
to  plunder  ;  he  has  helped  their  wounded  and  suffering  ;  he  is  as 
humane  as  he  is  brave,.,  and  they  can  never  feel  enmity  towards 
him."  It  may  be  that  this  generous  forgetfulness  of  injury  argues 
a  want  of  earnest  patriotism,  but  it  was  therefore  none  the  less 
grateful  to  me  as  an  American. 

We  took  leave  of  our  kind  guide  and  descended  the  hill.  It 
was  now  after  sunset ;  we  drove  rapidly  through  the  darkening 
cypresses  and  across  a  little  meadow  to  the  wall  of  Molino  del 
Rey.  A  guard  admitted  us  into  the  courtyard,  on  one  side  of  which 
loomed  the  tall  structure  of  the  mill ;  the  other  sides  were  flanked 


420  ELDORADO. 

with  low  buildings,  flat-roofed,  with  heavy  parapets  of  stone  along 
the  outside.  Crossing  the  yard,  we  passed  through  another  gate  to 
the  open  ground  where  the  attack  was  made.  This  battle,  as  is 
now  generally  known,  was  a  terrible  mistake,  costing  the  Americans 
eight  hundred  lives  without  any  return  for  the  sacrifice.  The  low 
parapets  of  the  courtyard  concealed  a  battery  of  cannon,  and  as 
our  troops  came  down  the  bare,  exposed  face  of  the  hill,  rank  after 
rank  was  mowed  away  by  their  deadly  discharge.  The  mill  was 
taken,  it  is  true,  but,  being  perfectly  commanded  by  the  guns  of 
Chapultepec,  it  was  an  untenable  position. 

It  was  by  this  time  so  dark  that  we  returned  to  the  city  by  the 
route  we  came,  instead  of  taking  the  other  aqueduct  and  follow 
ing  the  line  of  G-en.  Worth's  advance  to  the  Grarita  of  San  Cosme. 
Landing  at  Mr.  Belden's  residence,  the  Hotel  de  Bazar,  we  went 
into  the  Cafe  adjoining,  sat  down  by  a  marble  table  under  the 
ever-blooming  trees  of  the  court-yard,  and  enjoyed  a  chirimoya  ice 
— how  delicious,  may  readily  be  imagined  when  I  state  that  this 
fruit  in  its  native  state  resembles  nothing  so  much  as  a  rich  va 
nilla  cream.  The  Cafe  de  Bazar  is  kept  by  M.  Arago,  a  brother 
of  the  French  astronomer  and  statesman,  and  strikingly  like  him 
in  features.  At  night,  the  light  Moorish  corridors  around  his 
fountained  court-yard  are  lighted  with  gay-colored  lamps,  and 
knots  of  writers,  politicians  or  stray  tourists  are  gathered  there 
until  ten  o'clock,  when  Mexican  law  obliges  the  place  to  be 
closed. 

Mr.  Peyton  and  myself  procured  a  pair  of  spirited  mustangs 
and  one  morning  rode  out  to  the  village  of  Gruadalupe,  three 
miles  on  the  road  to  Tampico.  It  was  a  bright,  hot  day,  and 
Iztaccihuatl  flaunted  its  naked  snows  in  the  sun.  The  road  was 
with  arrieros  and  rancheros,  on  their  way  to  and  from  the 


GUADALUPE. 


city  —  suspicious  characters,  some  of  them,  but  we  had  left  our 
purses  at  home  and  taken  our  pistols  along.  The  shrine  of  the 
Yirgin  was  closed  at  the  timo  but  we  saw  the  little  chapel  in 
which  it  was  deposited  and  the  flight  of  steps  cut  in  the  rock, 
which  all  devout  Christians  are  expected  to  ascend  on  their  knees. 
The  principal  church  in  the  place  is  a  large,  imposing  structure, 
but  there  is  a  smaller  building  entirely  of  blue  and  white  glazed 
tiles,  the  effect  of  which  is  remarkably  neat  and  unique.  Half 
way  up  the  hill,  some  rich  Mexican  who  was  saved  from  ship 
wreck  by  calling  upon  the  Virgin  of  Gruadalupe,  has  erected  a 
votive  offering  in  the  shape  of  an  immense  mast  and  three  sails, 
looking,  at  a  distance,  like  part  of  an  actual  ship. 

After  a  week  in  Mexico,  I  prepared  to  leave  for  Yera  Cruz,  to 
meet  the  British  steamer  of  the  16th  of  February.  The  seats  in 
the  diligence  had  all  been  engaged  for  ten  days  previous,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  take  a  place  in  the  pescante,  or  driver's  box,  for 
which  I  paid  $34.  Again  I  rolled  my  sarape  around  my  scanty 
luggage  and  donneu  the  well-worn  corduroy  coat.  I  took  leave  of 
my  kind  friend  Mr.  Parrot,  and  lay  down  to  pass  my  last  night  in 
the  city  of  the  Montezumas 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE    BASE    OF    POPOCATAPETL. 

WHEN  we  were  called  up  by  the  mozo,  at  four  o'clock,  the  air 
was  dark,  damp  and  chilly:  not  a  star  was  to  be  seen.  The 
travelers  who  gathered  to  take  their  chocolate  in  the  dining-hall 
wore  heavy  cloaks  or  sarapes  thrown  over  the  shoulder  and  cov 
ering  the  mouth.  Among  them  was  my  companion  from  Griiana- 
juato,  Don  Antonio  de  Campos.  I  climbed  to  my  seat  in  the 
pescantCj  above  the  driver  and  groom,  and  waited  the  order  to 
start.  At  last  the  inside  was  packed,  the  luggage  lashed  on 
behind,  and  the  harness  examined  by  lanterns,  to  see  that  it  was 
properly  adjusted.  "  Vamos  /"  cried  the  driver ;  the  rope  was 
jerked  from  the  leaders,  and  away  we  thundered  down  the  silent 
streets,  my  head  barely  clearing  the  swinging  lamps,  stretched  from 
corner  to  corner.  We  passed  through  the  great  plaza,  now  dim 
and  deserted:  the  towers  of  the  Cathedral  were  lost  in  mist. 
Crossing  the  canal,  we  drove  through  dark  alleys  to  the  barrier  of 
the  city,  where  an  escort  of  lancers,  in  waiting  among  the  gloomy 
court-yards,  quietly  took  their  places  on  either  side  of  us. 

A  chill  fog  hung  over  all  the  valley.  The  air  was  benumbing, 
and  I  found  two  coats  insufficient  to  preserve  warmth.  There  are 
no  gardens  and  fields  of  maguey  on  th's  side  of  the  city,  as  on  that 


ANOTHER    VIEW    OF    THE    VALLEY  423 

of  Tacubaya  Here  and  there,  a  plantation  of  maize  interrupts  th<» 
uniformity  of  the  barren  plains  of  grass.  In  many  places,  the 
marshy  soil  bordering  on  Lake  Tezcuco,  is  traversed  by  deep 
ditches,  which  render  it  partially  fit  for  cultivation.  Leaving  the 
shores  of  Tezcuco,  we  turned  southward,  changed  horses  at  the 
little  Penon,  (an  isolated  hill,  between  Lakes  Chalco  and  Xochi- 
milco)  and  drove  on  to  Ayotla.  This  is  the  point  where  the 
American  army  under  Gren.  Scott  left  the  main  road  to  Mexico, 
turning  around  the  Penon  Grande,  south  of  the  town,  and  taking 
the  opposite  shore  of  Lake  Chalco.  It  is  a  small,  insignificant 
village,  but  prettily  situated  beside  the  lake  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
towering  Penon ;  a  little  further,  a  road  branches  off  to  Ameca 
and  the  foot  of  Popocatapetl.  Here  we  left  the  valley,  and  began 
ascending  the  barren  slopes  of  the  mountain.  Clumps  of  unsightly 
cactus  studded  the  rocky  soil,  which  was  cut  into  rough  arroyos 
by  the  annual  rains. 

Slowly  toiling  up  the  ascent,  we  changed  horses  at  a  large  haci 
enda,  built  on  one  of  the  steps  of  the  mountains,  whence,  looking 
backward,  the  view  of  the  valley  was  charming.  The  Penon 
stood  in  front ;  southward,  towards  Ameca  and  Tenango, 
stretched  a  great  plain,  belted  with  green  wheat-fields  and  dotted 
with  the  white  towers  of  villages.  The  waters  of  Chalco  were  at 
our  feet,  and  northward,  through  a  gap  in  the  hills,  the  broad 
sheet  of  Lake  Tezcuco  flashed  in  the  sun.  But  it  was  not  till 
we  had  climbed  high  among  the  pine  forests  and  looked  out  from 
under  the  eaves  of  the  clouds,  that  I  fully  realized  the  grandeur  of 
this  celebrated  view.  The  vision  seemed  to  embrace  a  world  at 
one  glance.  The  Valley  of  Mexico,  nearly  one  hundred  miles  in 
2xtent,  lay  below,  its  mountain -walls  buried  in  the  clouds  which 
hung  like  a  curtain  above  the  immense  picture.  But  through  a 


424  ELDORADO 

rift  in  this  canopy,  a  broad  sheet  of  sunshine  slowly  wandered  over 
the  valley,  now  glimmering  on  the  lakes  and  brightening  the 
green  of  the  fields  and  gardens,  and  now  lighting  up,  with  wonder 
ful  effect,  the  yellow  sides  of  the  ranges  of  hills.  Had  the  morn 
ing  been  clear,  the  view  would  have  been  more  extended,  but  I  do 
not  think  its  broadest  and  brightest  aspect  could  have  surpassed 
in  effect,  the  mysterious  half-light,  half-gloom  in  which  I  saw  it. 

The  clouds  rolled  around  us  as  I  gazed,  and  the  cold  wind  blew 
drearily  among  the  pines.  Our  escort,  now  increased  to  twelve 
lancers,  shortened  their  ascent  by  taking  the  mule  paths.  They 
looked  rather  picturesque,  climbing  in  single  file  through  the 
forest ;  their  long  blue  cloaks  hanging  on  their  horses'  flanks  and 
their  red  pennons  fluttering  in  the  mist.  The  rugged  defiles 
through  which  our  road  lay,  are  the  most  famous  resort  for  robbers 
in  all  Mexico.  For  miles  we  passed  through  one  continued 
ambush,  where  frequent  crosses  among  the  rocks  hinted  dark 
stories  of  assault  and  death.  Our  valorous  lancers  lagged  behind, 
wherever  the  rocks  were  highest  and  the  pines  most  thickly  set ; 
I  should  not  have  counted  a  single  moment  on  their  assistance, 
had  we  been  attacked.  I  think  I  enjoyed  the  wild  scenery  of  the 
pass  more,  from  its  perils.  The  ominous  gloom  of  the  day  and 
the  sound  of  the  wind  as  it  swept  the  trailing  clouds  through  the 
woods  of  pine,  heightened  this  feeling  to  something  like  a  positive 
enjoyment. 

When  we  reached  the  inn  of  Bio  Frio,  a  little  below  the  sum 
mit  of  the  pass,  on  its  eastern  side,  our  greatest  danger  was  over 
Breakfast  was  on  the  table,  and  the  eggs,  rice,  guisados  and  frijoles 
speedily  disappeared  before  our  sharp-set  appetites.  Luckily  for 
Dur  hunger,  the  diligence  from  Puebla  had  not  arrived.  The  little 
valley  of  Rio  Frio  is  hedged  in  by  high,  piny  peaks,  somewhat 


THE    TABLE-LAND    OF    PUEBLA.  425 

resembling  the  Catskills.  Below  it,  another  wild,  dangerous  pass 
of  two  or  three  miles  opens  upon  the  fertile  and  beautiful  table 
land  of  Puebla.  The  first  object  which  strikes  the  eye  on  emerg 
ing  from  the  woods,  is  the  peak  of  Malinche,  standing  alone  on  the 
plain,  about  midway  between  the  mountain  ranges  which  termi 
nate,  on  the  Mexican  side,  in  Popocatapetl,  on  the  Yera  Cruz  side, 
in  Orizaba.  I  looked  into  the  sky,  above  the  tree-tops,  for  the 
snows  of  Iztaccihuatl  and  Popocatapetl,  but  only  a  few  white 
streaks  on  the  side  of  the  former  volcano,  could  be  seen.  A  vio 
lent  snow-storm  was  raging  along  its  summit,  and  upon  Popocat 
apetl,  which  was  entirely  hidden  from  sight. 

The  table-land  on  which  we  entered,  descends,  with  a  barely 
perceptible  slant,  to  Puebla — a  distance  of  forty  miles.  Its  sur 
face,  fenceless,  and  almost  boundless  to  the  eye,  is  covered  with 
wheat  and  maize.  Fine  roads  cross  it ;  and  the  white  walls  of 
haciendas,  half-buried  in  the  foliage  of  their  gardens,  dot  it,  at  in 
tervals,  to  the  feet  of  the  distant  mountains.  The  driver,  an  in 
telligent  Mexican,  pointed  out  to  me  the  various  points  of  interest, 
as  we  passed  along.  He  professed  to  speak  a  little  English,  too, 
which  he  said  he  had  picked  up  from  passengers  on  the  road ; 
but  as  all  his  English  amounted  only  to  a  choice  vocabulary  of 
oaths,  it  told  badly  for  the  character  of  his  passengers. 

All  afternoon  the  clouds  covered  the  summits  of  the  volcanoes, 
and  stretching  like  a  roof  across  the  table-land,  rested  on  the 
broad  shoulders  of  Malinche.  As  the  sun  descended,  they  lifted 
a  little,  and  I  could  see  the  sides  of  Popocatapetl  as  far  as  the 
limit  of  the  snow;  but  his  head  was  still  hooded.  At  last,  through 
a  break  just  above  the  pinnacle  of  his  cone,  the  light  poured  in  a 
full  blaze,  silvering  the  inner  edges  of  the  clouds  with  a  sudden 
and  splendid  lustre.  The  snowy  apex  of  the  mountain,  bathed  in 


426  ELDORADO. 

full  radiance,  seemed  brighter  than  the  sun  itself — a  spot  of 
light  so  pure,  so  inconceivably  dazzling,  that  though  I  could  not 
withdraw  my  gaze,  the  eye  could  scarcely  bear  its  excess.  Then, 
as  the  clouds  rolled  together  once  more,  the  sun  climbing  through 
numerous  rifts,  made  bars  of  light  in  the  vapory  atmosphere, 
reaching  from  the  sides  of  Popocatapetl  to  their  bases,  many 
leagues  away,  on.  the  plain.  It  was  as  if  the  mountain  genii  who 
built  the  volcano  had  just  finished  their  work,  leaving  these,  the 
airy  gangways  of  their  scaffolding,  still  planted  around  it,  to  at 
test  its  marvellous  size  and  grandeur. 

The  most  imposing  view  of  Popocatapetl  is  from  the  side  to 
wards  Puebla.  It  is  not  seen,  as  from  the  valley  of  Mexico,  over 
the  rims  of  intermediate  mountains,  but  the  cone  widens  down 
ward  with  an  unbroken  outline,  till  it  strikes  the  smooth  table 
land.  On  the  right,  but  separated  by  a  deep  gap  in  the  range, 
is  the  broad,  irregular  summit  of  Iztaccihuatl,  gleaming  with 
snow.  The  signification  of  the  name  is  the  "  White  Lady," 
given  by  the  Aztecs  on  account  of  a  fancied  resemblance  in  its 
outline  to  the  figure  of  a  reclining  female.  The  mountain  of  Ma- 
linche,  opposite  to  the  volcanoes,  almost  rivals  them  in  majestic 
appearance.  It  rises  from  a  base  of  thirty  miles  in  breadth,  to 
a  height  of  about  thirteen  thousand  feet.  I  gazed  long  upon 
its  cloudy  top  and  wooded  waist,  which  the  sun  belted  with  a 
beam  of  gold,  for  on  its  opposite  side,  on  the  banks  of  a  river 
which  we  crossed  just  before  reaching  Puebla,  stands  the  ancient 
city  of  Tlascala.  The  name  of  the  volcano  Malinche,  is  an 
Aztec  corruption  of  Mariana,  the  Indian  wife  of  Cortez.  I  could 
not  look  upon  it  without  an  ardent  desire  to  stand  on  its  sides,  and 
with  Bernal  Diaz  in  hand,  trace  out  the  extent  of  the  territory 
once  possessed  by  his  brave  and  magnanimous  allies 


THE  PYRAMID  OF  CHOLULA.  427 

On  the  other  hand,  between  me  and  the  sunset,  stood  a  still 
more  interesting  memorial  of  the  Aztec  power.  There,  in  full 
view,  its  giant  terraces  clearly  defined  against  the  sky,  the  top 
most  one  crowned  with  cypress,  loomed  the  Pyramid  of  Cholula ! 
The  lines  of  this  immense  work  are  for  the  most  part  distinctly 
cut ;  on  the  eastern-  side,  only,  they  are  slightly  interrupted  by 
vegetation,  and  probably  the  spoliation  of  the  structure.  Although 
several  miles  distant,  and  rising  from  the  level  of  the  plain,  with 
out  the  advantage  of  natural  elevation,  the  size  of  the  pyramid 
astonished  me.  It  seems  an  abrupt  hill,  equal  in  height  and  im 
posing  form  to  the  long  range  in  front  of  it,  or  the  dark  hill  of 
Tlaloc  behind.  Even  with  Popocatapetl  for  a  back-ground,  its 
effect  does  not  diminish.  The  Spaniards,  with  all  their  waste  of 
gold  on  heavy  cathedrals  and  prison-like  palaces,  have  never  equal 
ed  this  relic  of  the  barbaric  empire  they  overthrew. 

I  do  not  know  whether  the  resemblance  between  the  outline  of 
this  pyramid  and  that  of  the  land  of  Mexico,  from  sea  to  sea,  has 
been  remarked.  It  is  certainly  no  forced  similitude.  There  is  the 
foundation  terrace  of  the  Tierra  Caliente  ;  the  steep  ascent  to  the 
second  broad  terrace  of  the  table-land ;  and  again,  the  succeeding 
ascent  to  the  lofty,  narrow  plateau  dividing  the  waters  of  the  con 
tinent.  If  we  grant  that  the  forms  of  the  pyramid,  the  dome,  the 
pillar  and  the  arch,  have  their  antitypes  in  Nature,  it  is  no  fan 
ciful  speculation  to  suppose  that  the  Aztecs,  with  that  breadth  of 
imagination  common  to  intelligent  barbarism,  made  their  world 
the  model  for  their  temples  of  worship  and  sacrifice. 

Cholula  vanished  in  the  dusk,  as  we  crossed  the  river  of  Tlas- 
cala  and  entered  the  shallow  basin  in  which  stands  Puebla..  The 
many  towers  of  its  churches  and  convents  showed  picturesquely 
in  the  twilight.  The  streets  were  filled  with  gay  crowds  return- 


428  ELDORADO. 

ing  from  the  Alameda.  Motley  maskers,  on  horseback  and  on 
foot,  reminded  us  that  this  was  the  commencement  of  Carnival 
The  great  plaza  into  which  we  drove  was  filled  with  stands  ol 
fruit- venders,  before  each  of  which  flared  a  large  torch  raised 
upon  a  pole.  The  cathedral  is  in  better  style,  and  shows  tc 
greater  advantage  than  that  of  Mexico.  So  we  passed  to  the 
Hotel  de  Diligencias,  where  a  good  dinner,  in  readiness,  delighted 
us  more  than  the  carnival  or  the  cathedral. 

After  the  final  dish  of  frijoles  had  been  dispatched,  I  made  a 
short  night-stroll  through  the  city.  The  wind  was  blowing  strong 
and  cold  from  the  mountains,  whistling  under  the  arches  of  the 
cortal  and  flaring  the  red  torches  that  burned  in  the  market-place. 
The  fruit-sellers,  nevertheless,  kept  at  their  posts,  exchanging 
jokes  occasionally  with  a  masked  figure  in  some  nondescript  cos 
tume.  I  found  shelter  from  the  wind,  at  last,  in  a  grand  old 
church,  near  the  plaza.  The  interior  was  brilliantly  lighted,  and 
the  floor  covered  by  kneeling  figures.  There  was  nothing  in  the 
church  itself,  except  its  vastness  and  dimness,  to  interest  me  ;  but 
the  choral  music  I  there  heard  was  not  to  be  described.  A 
choir  of  boys,  alternating  with  one  of  rich  masculine  voices,  over 
ran  the  full  peal  of  the  organ,  and  filled  the  aisle  with  delicious 
harmony.  There  was  a  single  voice,  which  seemed  to  come  out 
of  the  air,  in  the  pauses  of  the  choral,  and  send  its  clear,  trumpet- 
tones  directly  to  the  heart.  As  long  as  the  exercises  continued,  I 
stood  by  the  door,  completely  chained  by  those  divine  sounds. 
The  incense  finally  faded ;  the  tapers  were  put  out  one  by  one  ; 
the  worshippers  arose,  took  another  dip  in  the  basin  of  holy  water, 
and  retired  ;  and  I,  too,  went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  tried  to  keep 
warm  under  cover  of  a  single  sarape. 

The  manufactures  of  Puebla  are  becoming  important  to  Mexico 


PUEBLA.  429 

— the  more  so,  from  the  comparative  liberality  which  is  now  exer 
cised  towards  foreigners.  A  few  years  ago,  I  was  informed,  a 
stranger  was  liable  to  be  insulted,  if  not  assaulted,  in  the  streets  ; 
but,  latterly,  this  prejudice  is  vanishing.  The  table-land  around 
the  city  is  probably  one  of  the  finest  grain  countries  in  the  world. 
Under  a  proper  administration  of  Government,  Puebla  might  be- 
ooine  the  first  manufacturing  town  in  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

GLIMPSES    OF     PURGATORY    AND    PARADISE. 

RISING  before  three  o'clock  is  no 'pleasant  thing,  on  the  high 
table-land  of  Puebla,  especially  when  one  has  to  face  the  cold 
from  the  foretop  of  a  diligence  ;  but  I  contrived  to  cheat  the  early 
travel  of  its  annoyance,  by  looking  backward  to  Popocatapetl,  which 
rose  cold  and  unclouded  in  the  morning  twilight.  We  sped  over 
fertile  plains,  past  the  foot  of  Malinche,  and  met  the  sunrise  at  the 
town  of  Amozoque,  another  noted  robber-hold.  In  the  arroyos 
which  cross  the  road  at  its  eastern  gate  a  fight  took  place  between 
the  advanced  guard  of  the  American  army  and  a  body  of  Mexican 
soldiers,  on  the  march  to  the  capital. 

From  Amozoque  the  plain  ascends,  with  a  scarcely  perceptible 
rise,  to  the  summit  of  the  dividing  ridge,  beyond  Perote.  The 
clouds,  which  had  gathered  again  by  this  time,  hid  from  our  view 
the  mountain  barriers  of  the  table-land,  to  the  east  and  west. 
The  second  post  brought  us  to  Acajete,  whose  white  dome  and 
towers  we  saw  long  before  reaching  it,  projected  brightly  against 
the  pines  of  a  steep  mountain  behind.  One  is  only  allowed  time 
at  the  posts  to  stretch  his  legs  and  light  a  cigar.  The  horses — or 
mules,  as  the  case  may  be — are  always  in  readiness,  and  woe  to  the 


PURGATORY.  431 

unlucky  traveler  who  stands  a  hundred  yards  from  the  diligence 
when  the  rope  is  drawn  away  from  the  ramping  leaders. 

The  insular  mountain  of  Acajete  shelters  a  gang  of  robbers 
among  its  ravines,  and  the  road,  bending  to  the  left  around  its 
base,  is  hedged  with  ambush  of  the  most  convenient  kind.  The 
driver  pointed  out  to  me  a  spot  in  the  thicket  where  one  of  the 
gang  was  shot  not  long  before.  Half-way  up  the  acclivity,  a 
thread  of  blue  smoke  rose  through  the  trees,"  apparently  from 
some  hut  or  camp  on  a  little  shelf  at  the  foot  of  a  precipice. 
Further  than  this,  we  saw  nothing  which  seemed  to  denote  their 
propinquity.  The  pass  was  cleared,  the  horses  changed  at  El 
Final — a  large  hacienda  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain — and 
we  dashed  on  till  nearly  noon,  when  the  spires  of  Nopaluca  ap 
peared  behind  a  distant  hill — the  welcome  heralds  of  breakfast ! 

Beyond  this  point,  where  a  trail  branches  off  to  Orizaba,  the 
character  of  the  scenery  is  entirely  changed.  We  saw  no  longer 
the  green  wheat-plains  and  stately  haciendas  of  Puebla.  The 
road  passed  over  an  immense  llano,  covered  with  short,  brown 
grass,  and  swept  by  a  furious  wind.  To  the  north,  occasional 
peaks — barren,  rocky  and  desolate  in  their  appearance, — rose  at 
a  short  distance  from  our  path.  On  the  other  hand,  the  llano 
stretched  away  for  many  a  league,  forming  a  horizon  to  the  eye 
before  it  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  wind  frequently 
increased  to  such  a  pitch  that  all  trace  of  the  landscape  was  lost. 
Columns  of  dust,  rising  side  by  side  from  the  plain,  mingled  as 
they  whirled  along,  shrouding  us  as  completely  as  a  Newfoundland 
fog.  The  sun  was  at  times  totally  darkened.  My  eyes,  which 
were  strongly  blood-shotten,  from  too  much  gazing  at  the  snows  of 
Popocatapetl,  were  severely  affected  by  this  hurricane.  But  there 
is  no  evil  without  some  accompanying  good  ;  and  the  same  wind 


432  ELDORADO. 

which  nearly  stifled  me  with  dust,  at  last  brushed  away  the  clouds 
from  the  smooth,  gradual  outline  of  Cofre  de  Perote,  and  revealed 
the  shining  head  of  Orizaba. 

Beyond  La  Venta  de  Soto,  the  road  skirts  a  striking  peak  of 
rock,  whose  outline  is  nearly  that  of  an  exact  pyramid,  several 
thousand  feet  in  height.  The  inozo  called  it  Monte  Pizarro. 
From  its  dark  ravines  the  robbers  frequently  sally,. to  attack  tra 
velers  on  the  plain.  At  some  distance  from  the  road,  I  noticed 
a  mounted  guard  who  followed  us  till  relieved  by  another,  planted 
at  short  intervals.  As  the  sunset  came  on,  we  reached  a  savage 
volcanic  region,  where  the  only  vegetation  scattered  over  the  ridgy 
beds  of  black  lava,  was  the  yucca  and  the  bristly  cactus.  There 
were  no  inhabitants ;  some  huts,  here  and  there,  stood  in  ruins ; 
and  the  solitary  guard,  moving  like  a  shadow  over  the  lava  hills, 
only  added  to  the  loneliness  and  increased  the  impression  of  dan 
ger.  I  have  seen  many  wild  and  bleak  spots,  but  none  so  abso 
lutely  Tartarean  in  its  aspect.  There  was  no  softer  transition  of 
scene  to  break  the  feeling  it  occasioned,  for  the  nightfall  deepened 
as  we  advanced,  leaving  everything  in  dusky  shadow,  but  the  vast 
bulk  of  Cofre  de  Perote,  which  loomed  between  me  and  the  southern 
stars.  At  last,  lights  glimmered  ahead  ;  we  passed  down  a  street 
lined  with  miserable  houses,  across  a  narrow  and  dirty  plaza,  and 
into  a  cramped  court-yard.  The  worst  dinner  we  ate  on  the 
whole  journey  was  being  prepared  in  the  most  cheerless  of  rooms 
This  was  Perote. 

I  went  out  to  walk  after  dinner,  but  did  not  go  far.  The 
squalid  look  of  the  houses,  and  the  villanous  expression  of  the 
faces,  seen  by  the  light  of  a  fevv  starving  lamps,  oifered  nothing 
attractive,  and  the  wind  by  this  time  was  more  piercing  than  ever. 
Perote  bears  a  bad  reputation  in  every  respect :  its  situation  is 


THE  EDGE  OF  THE  TABLE-LAND.  433 

the  bleakest  in  Mexico,  and  its  people  the  most  shameless  in  their 
depredations.  The  diligence  is  frequently  robbed  at  the  very  gates 
of  the  town.  We  slept  with  another  blanket  on  our  beds,  and 
found  the  addition  of  our  sarapes  still  desirable.  The  mozo  awoke 
us  at  half-past  two,  to  coffee  and  chocolate  in  the  cold.  I  climbed 
into  the  pescante  and  drew  the  canvas  cover  of  the  top  around 
my  shoulders.  The  driver — an  American,  who  had  been  twenty 
years  on  the  road — gave  the  word  of  starting,  and  let  his  eight 
mules  have  full  rein.  Five  lancers  accompanied  us — two  some 
distance  in  advance,  one  on  each  side  and  one  bringing  up  the 
rear.  The  stars  shone  with  a  frosty  lustre,  looking  larger  and 
brighter  in  the  thin  air.  We  journeyed  for  two  hours  in  a  half 
darkness,  which  nevertheless  permitted  me  to  see  that  the  country 
was  worth  little  notice  by  daylight — a  bleak  region,  ten  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  very  sparsely  inhabited. 

About  sunrise  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  pass,  and  com 
menced  descending  through  scattering  pine  woods.  The  declivity 
was  at  first  gradual,  but  when  we*  had  passed  the  bevelled  slope  of 
the  summit  ridge,  our  road  lay  along  the  very  brink  of  the  mountains 
overlooking  everything  that  lay  between  them  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Immediately  north  of  the  pass,  the  mountain  chain  turns 
eastward,  running  towards  the  Gulf  in  parallel  ridges,  on  the  sum 
mits  of  which  we  looked  down.  The  beds  of  the  valleys,  wild, 
broken,  and  buried  in  a  wilderness  but  little  visited,  were  lost  in 
the  dense  air,  which  filled  them  like  a  vapor.  Beginning  at  the 
region  of  lava  and  stunted  pine,  the  eye  travels  downward,  from 
summit  to  summit  of  the  ranges,  catching,  at  intervals,  glimpses 
of  gardens,  green  fields  of  grain,  orange  orchards,  groves  of  palm 
and  gleaming  towers,  till  at  last-  it  rests  on  the  far-away  glimmer 
of  the  sea,  under  the  morning  sun.  Fancy  yourself  riding  along 
19 


434  ELDORADO. 

the  ramparts  of  a  fortress  ten  thousand  feet  in  height,  with  all  the 
climates  of  the  earth  spread  out  below  you,  zone  lying  beyond  zone, 
and  the  whole  bounded  at  the  furthest  horizon  to  which  vision  can 
reach,  by  the  illimitable  sea  !  Such  is  the  view  which  meets  one 
on  descending  to  Jalapa. 

The  road  was  broad  and  smooth,  and  our  mules  whirled  us 
downward  on  a  rapid  gallop.  In  half  an  hour  from  the  time  when 
around  us  the  hoar-frost  was  lying  on  black  ridges  of  lava  and 
whitening  the  tips  of  the  pine  branches,  we  saw  the  orange  and 
banana,  basking  in  the  glow  of  a  region  where  frost  was 
unknown.  We  were  now  on  the  borders  of  paradise.  The 
streams,  leaping  down  crystal-clear  from  the  snows  of  Cofre  de 
Perote,  fretted  their  way  through  tangles  of  roses  and  blossoming 
vines ;  the  turf  had  a  sheen  like  that  of  a  new-cut  emerald ;  the 
mould,  upturned  for  garden  land,  showed  a  velvety  richness  and 
softness,  and  the  palm,  that  true  child  of  light,  lifted  its  slender 
shaft  and  spread  its  majestic  leaves  against  the  serene  blue  of 
heaven.  As  we  came  out  of  the  deep-sunken  valleys  on  the  brow 
of  a  ridge  facing  the  south,  there  stood,  distinct  and  shadowless 
from  base  to  apex,  the  Mountain  of  Orizaba.  It  rose  beyond 
mountains  so  far  off  that  all  trace  of  chasm  or  ledge  or  belting 
forest  was  folded  in  a  veil  of  blue  air,  yet  its  grand,  immaculate 
cone,  of  perfect  outline,  was  so  white,  so  dazzling,  so  pure  in  its 
frozen  clearness,  like  that  of  an  Arctic  morn,  that  the  eye  lost  its 
sense  of  the  airy  gulf  between,  and  it  seemed  that  I  might  stretch 
out  my  hand  and  touch  it.  No  peak  among  mountains  can  be 
more  sublime  than  Orizaba.  Rising  from  the  fevel  of  the  sea  and 
the  perpetual  summer  of  the  tropics,  with  an  unbroken  line  to  the 
height  of  eighteen  thousand  feet,  it  stands  singly  above  the  other 
ranges  with  its  spotless  crown  «f  snow,  as  some  giant,  white-haired 


PARADISE  435 

Noithern  king  might  stand  among  a  host  of  the  weak,  effeminate 
sybarites  of  the  South.  Orizaba  dwells  alone  in  my  memory,  as 
the  only  perfect  type  of  a  mountain  to  be  found  on  the  Earth. 

After  two  leagues  of  this  enchanting  travel  we  came  to  Jalapa, 
a  city  of  about  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  on  the  slope  of  the 
hills,  half-way  between  the  sea  and  the  table-land,  overlooking  the 
one  and  dominated  by  the  other.  The  streets  are  as  clean  as  a 
Dutch  cottage ;  the  one-story,  tiled  houses,  sparkling  in  the  sun, 
are  buried  in  gardens  that  rival  the  Hesperides.  Two  miles  before 
reaching  the  town  the  odor  of  its  orange  blossoms  filled  the  air. 
We  descended  its  streets  to  the  Diligence  Hotel,  at  the  bottom, 
where,  on  arriving,  we  found  there  would  be  no  stage  to  Vera 
Cruz  for  two  days,  so  we  gave  ourselves  up  to  the  full  enjoyment 
of  the  spot.  My  fellow-passenger  for  Guanajuato,  Don  Antonio 
de  Campos,  and  myself,  climbed  into  the  tower  of  the  hotel,  and 
eat  down  under  its  roof  to  enjoy  the  look-out.  The  whole  land 
scape  was  like  a  garden.  For  leagues  around  the  town  it  was  one 
constant  alternation  of  field,  grove  and  garden — the  fields  of  the 
freshest  green,  the  groves  white  with  blossoms  and  ringing  with  the 
songs  of  birds,  and  the  gardens  loading  the  air  with  delicious  per 
fume.  Stately  haciendas  were  perched  on  the  vernal  slopes,  and 
in  the  fields ;  on  the  roads  and  winding  mule-paths  of  the  hills  we 
saw  everywhere  a  gay  and  light-hearted  people.  We  passed  the 
whole  afternoon  in  the  tower ;  the  time  went  by  like  a  single  pul 
sation  of 'delight.  I  felt,  then,  that  there  could  be  no  greater  hap 
piness  than  in  thus  living  forever,  without  a  single  thought  beyond 
the  enjoyment  of  the  scene.  My  friend,  Don  Antonio,  was  busy 
with  old  memories.  Twenty  years  before,  he  came  through  Jalapa 
for  the  first  time,  an  ardent,  aspiring  youth,  thinking  to  achieve 
his  fortune  in  three  or  four  years  and  return  with  it  to  his  native 


4:36  ELDORADO. 

Portugal ;  but  alas  !  twenty  years  had  barely  sufficed  for  the  ful 
filment  of  his  dreams — twenty  years  of  toil  among  the  barren 
mountains  of  Guanajuato.  Now,  he  said,  all  that  time  vanished 
from  his  mind ;  his  boyish  glimpse  of  Jalapa  was  his  Yesterday, 
and  the  half-forgotten  life  of  his  early  home  lay  close  behind  it. 

After  dinner,  all  our  fellow-travelers  set  out  for  the  Alameda, 
which  lies  in  a  little  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  town.  A  broad 
paved  walk,  with  benches  of  stone  at  the  side  and  stone  urns  on 
lofty  pedestals  at  short  intervals,  leads  to  a  bridge  over  a  deep 
chasm,  where  the  little  river  plunges  through  a  mesh  of  vines  into 
a  large  basin  below.  Beyond  this  bridge,  a  dozen  foot-paths  lead 
off  to  the  groves  and  shaded  glens,  the  haciendas  and  orange 
orchards.  The  idlers  of  the  town  strolled  back  and  forth,  enjoying 
the  long  twilight  and  balmy  air.  We  were  all  in  the  most  joyous 
mood,  and  my  fellow-passengers  ofthree  or  four  different  nations 
expressed  their  delight  in  as  many  tongues,  with  an  amusing 
contrast  of  exclamations :  "  Ah,  que  joli  petit  pays  de  Jalape  /" 
cried  the  little  Frenchwoman,  who  had  talked  in  a  steady  stream 
since  leaving  Mexico,  notwithstanding  she  was  going  to  France  on 
account  of  delicate  lungs.  "  Siente,  uste  el  aroma  de  las  naran- 
jas  ?"  asked  a  dark-eyed  Andalusian.  "  Himmlische  Luft  /" 
exclaimed  the  enraptured  German,  unconsciously  quoting  Gotz 
von  Berlichingen.  Don  Antonio  turned  to  me,  saying  in 
English :  "  My  pulse  is  quicker  and  my  blood  warmer  than  for 
twenty  years ;  I  believe  my  youth  is  actually  coming  back  again." 
We  talked  thus  till  the  stars  came  out  and  the  perfumed  air  was  cool 
with  invisible  dew. 

When  we  awoke  the  next  morning  it  was  raining,  and  continued 
to  rain  all  day — not  a  slow,  dreary  drizzle,  nor  a  torrent  of  heavy 
drops,  as  rain  comes  to  us,  but  a  fine,  ethereal,  gauzy  veil  of  mois- 


JALAPA    RAIN.  437 

ture  that  scarcely  stirred  the  grass  on  which  it  fell  or  shook  the 
light  golden  pollen  from  the  orange  flowers.  Every  two  or  three 
days  such  a  shower  comes  down  on  the  soil  of  Jalapa — 

"  a  perpetual  April  to  the  ground, 
Making  it  all  one  emerald." 

We  could  not  stroll  among  the  gardens  or  sit  under  the  urns  of 
the  Alameda,  but  the  towers  and  balconies  were  left  us  ;  the  land 
scape,  though  faint  and  blurred  by  the  filmy  rain,  was  nearly  as 
beautiful,  and  the  perfume  could  not  be  washed  out  of  the  air. 
So  passed  the  day,  and  with  the  night  we  betook  ourselves  early 
to  rest,  for  the  Diligence  was  to  leave  at  three  o'clock  on  the 
morrow. 

For  two  leagues  after  leaving  Jalapa  I  smelt  the  orange  blos 
soms  in  the  starry  morning,  but  when  daylight  glimmered  on  the 
distant  Gulf,  we  were  riding  between  bleak  hills,  covered  with 
chapparal,  having  descended  to  the  barren  heats  of  the  tropi 
cal  winter,  beyond  the  line  of  the  mountain-gathered  showers. 
The  road  was  rough  and  toilsome,  but  our  driver,  an  intelligent 
American,  knew  every  stone  and  rut  in  the  dark  and  managed  his 
eight  mules  with  an  address  and  calculation  which  seemed  to  me 
marvellous.  He  had  been  on  the  road  six  years,  at  a  salary  of 
$150  per  month,  from  the  savings  of  which  he  had  purchased  a 
handsome  little  property  in  Jalapa.  Bon  Juan,  as  the  natives  • 
called  him,  was  a  greatlavorite  along  the  road,  which  his  sturdy, 
upright  character  well  deserved.  At  sunrise  we  reached  the 
hacienda  of  El  Encero,  belonging  to  Santa  Anna,  as  do  most  of 
the  other  haciendas  between  Jalapa  and  Vera  Cruz.  The  hill  of 
Cerro  Gordo  appeared  before  us,  and  a  drive  of  an  hour  brought 
us  to  the  cluster  of  cane-huts  bearing  the  same  name. 

BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 


438  ELDORADO. 

The  physical  features  of  the  field  of  Cerro  Gordo  are  very  in- 
teresting.  It  is  a  double  peak,  rising  from  the  midst  of  rough, 
rolling  hills,  covered  with  a  dense  thicket  of  cactus  and  thorny 
shrubs.  Towards  Yera  Cruz  it  is  protected  by  deep  barrancas 
and  passes,  which  in  proper  hands  might  be  made  impregnable. 
Had  Gen.  Scott  attempted  to  take  it  by  advancing  up  the  broad 
highway,  he  must  inevitably  have  lost  the  battle  ;  but  by  cutting 
a  road  through  the  chapparal  with  great  labor,  making  a  circuit  of 
several  miles,  he  reached  the  north-eastern  slope  of  the  hill — the 
most  accessible  point,  and  according  to  the  Mexican  story,  the  side 
least  defended.  Having  gained  one  of  the  peaks  of  the  hill,  the 
charge  was  made  down  the  side  and  up  the  opposite  steep  in  the 
face  of  the  Mexican  batteries.  The  steady  march  of  our  forces 
under  this  deadly  hail,  to  the  inspiriting  blast  of  the  Northern 
bugles,  has  been  described  to  me  by  officers  who  took  part  in  the 
fight,  as  the  most  magnificent  spectacle  of  the  war.  After  taking 
the  battery,  the  guns  were  turned  upon  the  Mexicans,  who  were 
flying  through  the  chapparal  in  all  directions.  Many,  overcome 
by  terror,  leaped  from  the  brink  of  the  barranca  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  and  were  crushed  to  death  in  the  fall.  Santa  Anna,  who 
escaped  at  this  place,  was  taken  down  by  a  path  known  to  some 
of  the  officers.  The  chapparal  is  still  strewn  thickly  with  bleached 
bones,  principally  of  the  mules  and  horses  who  were  attached  to 
the  ammunition  wagons  of  the  enemy.  The  driver  told  me  that 
until  recently  there  were  plenty  of  cannon-balls  lying  beside  the 
road,  but  that  every  American,  English  or  French  traveler  took 
one  as  a  relic,  till  there  were  no  more  to  be  seen.  A  shallow 
cave  beside  the  road  was  pointed  out  as  the  spot  where  the  Mexi 
cans  hid  their  ammunition.  It  was  not  discovered  by  our  troops, 
but  a  Mexican  who  knew  the  secret,  sold  it  to  them  out  of  re- 


CERRO    GORDO.  439 

venge  for  the  non-payment  of  some  mules  which  he  had  furnished 
to  his  own  army.  The  driver  lay  hidden  in  Jalapa  for  some  days 
previous  to  the  battle,  unable  to  escape,  and  the  first  intelligence 
he  received  of  what  had  taken  place,  was  that  furnished  by  the 
sight  of  the  flying  Mexicans.  They  poured  through  the  town  that 
evening  and  the  day  following,  he  said,  in  the  wildest  disorder, 
some  mounted  on  donkeys,  some  on  mules,  some  on  foot,  many  of 
the  officers  without  hats  or  swords,  others  wrapped  in  the  dusty 
coat  of  a  private,  and  all  cursing,  gesticulating  and  actually  weep 
ing,  like  men  crazed.  They  had  been  so  confident  of  success  that 
the  reverse  seemed  almost  heart-breaking. 

A  few  miles  beyond  Cerro  Gordo  we  reached  Plan  del  Rio,  a 
small  village  of  cane  huts,  which  was  burned  down  by  order  of 
Santa  Anna,  on  the  approach  of  the  American  forces.  A  splen 
did  stone  bridge  across  the  river  was  afterwards  blown  up  by  the 
guerillas,  in  the  foolish  idea  that  they  would  stop  an  American 
specie-train,  coming  from  Vera  Cruz.  In  half  a  day  after  the 
train  arrived  there  was  an  excellent  road  across  the  chasm,  and 
the  Mexicans  use  it  to  this  day,  for  the  shattered  arch  has  never 
been  rebuilt.  From  Plan  del  Rio  to  the  Puente  Nacional  is  about 
three  leagues,  through  the  same  waste  of  cactus  and  chapparal. 
The  latter  place,  the  scene  of  many  a  brush  with  the  guerillas 
during  the  war,  is  in  a  very  wild  and  picturesque  glen,  through 
which  the  river  forces  its  way  to  the  sea.  The  bridge  is  one  of 
the  most  magnificent  structures  of  the  kind  on  the  continent.  On 
a  little  knoll,  at  the  end  towards  Jalapa,  stands  a  stately  hacienda 
belonging  to  Santa  Anna. 

We  sped  on  through  the  dreary  chapparal,  now  sprinkled  with 
palms  and  blossoming  trees.  The  country  is  naturally  rich  and 
productive,  but  is  little  better  than  a  desert.  The  only  inhabitants 


440  ELDORADO. 

ire  a  set  of  half-naked  Indians,  who  live  in  miserable  huts,  sup 
porting  themselves  by  a  scanty  cultivation  of  maize,  and  the  deei 
they  kill  in  the  thickets.  Just  before  we  reached  the  sea-shore, 
one  of  these  people  came  out  of  the  woods,  with  a  little  spotted 
fawn  in  his  arms,  which  he  offered  to  sell.  The  driver  bought  it 
for  a  dollar,  and  the  beautiful  little  creature,  not  more  than  two 
weeks  old,  was  given  to  me  to  carry.  I  shielded  it  from  the  cold 
sea-wind,  and  with  a  contented  bleat  it  nestled  down  in  my  lap 
and  soon  fell  fast  asleep. 

At  sunset  we  drove  out  on  the  broad  sands  bordering  the  Gulf. 
A  chill  norther  was  blowing,  and  the  waves  thundered  over  the 
coral  reefs  with  a  wintry  sound.  Vera  Cruz  sat  on  the  bleak 
shore,  a  league  before  us,  her  domes  and  spires  painted  on  the 
gloomy  sky.  The  white  walls  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa  rose  from  the 
water  beyond  the  shipping.  Not  a  tree  or  green  thing  was  to  be 
seen  for  miles  around  the  city,  which  lo.oked  as  completely  deso 
late  as  if  built  in  the  middle  of  Zahara.  Nevertheless,  I  blessed 
the  sight  of  it,  and  felt  a  degree  of  joy  as  I  passed  within  its  gates, 
for  the  long  journey  of  twelve  hundred  miles  across  the  Continent 
was  safely  accomplished 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 


I  CANNOT  say  much  of  VeraCruz.  A  town  built  and  sustained 
by  commerce  alone,  and  that  not  the  most  flourishing,  presents 
few  points  of  interest  to  the  traveler.  Its  physiognomy  differs  but 
little  from  that  of  the  other  Mexican  cities  I  have  described. 
There  is  the  Plaza,  flanked  by  the  Cathedral, — the  same  pink 
mass  of  old  Spanish  architecture,  picturesque  only  for  its  associa 
tions — the  Diligence  Hotel,  with  its  arched  corridor  forming  a  cor- 
tal  along  one  side — the  dreary,  half-deserted  streets,  with  their 
occasional  palaces  of  stone  enclosing  paved  and  fountained  court 
yards — the  market,  heaped  with  the  same  pyramids  of  fruit  which 
have  become  so  familiar  to  us — the  dirty  adobe  huts,  nearest  the 
walls,  with  their  cut-throat  population — and  finally,  the  population 
itself,  rendered  more  active,  intelligent  and  civilized  by  the  pre 
sence  of  a  large  number  of- foreigners,  but  still  comprised  mainly 
oi"  the  half-breed,  with  the  same  habits  and  propensities  as  we  find 
in  the  interior.  The  town  is  contracted ;  standing  in  the  plaza,  one 
can  see  its  four  corners,  bounded  by  the  walls  and  the  sea,  and  all 
within  a  few  minutes'  walk.  Outside  of  the  gates  wo  come  at  once 
upon  the  deserts  of  sand. 


442  ELDORADO. 

On  reaching  Vera  Cruz,  there  were  no  tidings  of  the  steamer, 
which  was  due  on  the  4th.  The  U.  S.  schooner  Flirt,  Capt. 
Farren,  was  in  port  waiting  for  a  norther  to  go  down,  to  sail  for 
New  Orleans,  but  there  was  small  chance  of  passage  on  board  of 
her.  On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  the  U.  S.  steamer  Water-witch, 
Capt.  Totten,  made  her  appearance,  bound  homeward  after  a 
cruise  to  Havana,  Sisal,  Campeachy  and  Laguna.  I  had  almost 
determined,  in  default  of  any  other  opportunity,  to  take  passage 
in  her,  as  a  "  distressed  citizen,"  when,  on  rowing  out  to  the 
Castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa  on  the  third  morning,  one  of  the  boat 
men  descried  a  faint  thread  of  smoke  on  the  horizon.  "  El 
vapor  /"  was  the  general  exclamation,  and  at  least  fifty  dissatisfied 
persons  recovered  their  good-humor. 

My  friend  Don  Antonio  was  acquainted  with  the  Comm andante 
of  the  Castle,  Don  Manuel  Robles,  by  which  means  we  obtained 
free  admission  within  its  coral  walls.  It  is  a  place  of  immense 
strength,  and  in  the  hands  of  men  who  know  Jiow  to  defend  it,  need 
no  more  be  taken  than  Gibraltar.  We  climbed  to  the  top  of  the 
tower,  walked  around  the  parapets,  shouted  into  the  echoing  wells 
sunk  deep  in  the  rock,  and  examined  its  gigantic  walls.  The 
spongy  coral  of  which  it  is  built  receives  the  shot  and  shells  that 
have  been  thrown  upon  it,  without  splintering  ;  here  and  there 
we  noticed  holes  where  they  had  imbedded  themselves  in  it,  rather 
adding  to  its  solidity.  We  sat  two  or  three  hours  in  the  tower, 
watching  the  approaching  smoke  of  the  steamer.  As  the  chimes 
rang  noon  in  Yera  Cruz,  a  terrific  blast  of  trumpets  pealed  through 
the  courtyard  of  the  Castle,  below  us.  The  yellow-faced  soldiers, 
in  their  white  shirts  and  straw  hats  with  the  word  "  Ulua"  upon 
them,  mustered  along  one  side,  and  after  a  brief  drill,  had  their 
dinner  of  rice,  frijoles  and  coffee  served  to  them.  The  force  in 


SUNDAY  IN  VERA  CRUZ.  443 

tbe  Castle  appeared  very  small  j  the  men  were  buried  in  its  im 
mense  vaults  and  galleries,  and  at  times,  looking  down  from  the 
tower,  scarcely  a  soul  was  to  be  seen.  The  Commandante  invited 
us  to  his  quarters,  and  offered  us  refreshments,  after  we  had  made 
the  round  of  the  parapets.  Singularly  enough,  his  room  was  hung 
with  American  engravings  of  the  battles  of  the  late  war 

The  most  interesting  object  in  Yera  Cruz  is  an  old  church,  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  city,  which  was  built  by  Cortez,  in  1531 
— the  oldest  Christian  church  in  the  New  World.  Some  miles 
distant  is  the  old  town  of  Vera  Cruz,  which  was  abandoned  for  the 
present  site.  I  had  not  time  to  visit  it,  nor  the  traces  of  the 
Americans  among  the  sand-hills  encircling  the  city.  One  Sunday 
evening,  however,  I  visited  the  paseo,  a  paved  walk  outside  the 
gate,  with  walls  to  keep  off  the  sand  and  some  miserable  attempts 
at  trees  here  and  there.  As  it  was  Carnival,  the  place  was 
crowded,  but  most  of  the  promenaders  appeared  to  be  foreigners. 
Beyond  the  paseo,  however,  stood  a  cluster  of  half-ruined  buildings, 
where  the  lower  class  of  the  native  population  was  gathered  at  a 
fandango.  After  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  nothing  was  talked  of 
but  our  departure  and  nothing  done  but  to  pack  trunks  and  contrive 
ways  of  smuggling  money,  in  order  to  avoid  the  export  duty  of  six 
per  cent. 

We  left  Vera  Cruz  on  the  morning  of  February  19th,  and  reached 
Tampico  Bar  after  a  run  of  twenty-two  hours.  The  surf  was  so 
high  after  the  recent  norther,  that  we  were  obliged  to  wait  three 
days  before  the  little  river-steamer  could  come  to  us  with  her  mil 
lion  of  dollars.  The  Thames,  however,  was  so  spacious  and  plea 
sant  a  ship,  that  we  were  hardly  annoyed  by  the  delay.  Coming 
from  semi-civilized  Mexico,  the  sight  of  English  order  and  the  en- 


444  ELDORADO. 

joyment  of  English  comfort  were  doubly  agreeable.  Among  our 
passengers  were  Lady  Emeliua  Stuart  Wortley,  returning  from  a 
heroic  trip  to  Mexico  ;  Lord  Mark  Kerr,  a  gentleman  of  intelli 
gence  and  refinement,  and  an  amateur  artist  of  much  talent ;  and 
Mr.  Hill,  an  English  traveler,  on  his  way  home  after  three  yearh 
spent  in  Russia,  Siberia,  Polynesia,  and  the  interior  of  South 
America.  My  eight  days  spent  on  board  the  Thames,  passed 
away  rapidly,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  26th,  we  made  the 
light-house  on  Mobile  Point,  and  came-to  among  the  shipping  at 
the  anchorage.  I  transferred  myself  and  sarape  to  the  deck  of  a 
high-pressure  freight-boat,  and  after  lying  all  night  in  the  bay,  on 
account  of  a  heavy  fog,  set  foot  next  morning  on  the  wharf  at 
Mobile. 

Leaving  the  same  afternoon,  I  passed  two  days  on  the  beautiful 
Alabama  River  ;  was  whirled  in  the  cars  from  Montgomery  to 
Opelika,  and  jolted  twenty-four  hours  in  a  shabby  stage,  over  the 
hills  of  Georgia,  to  the  station  of  Griffin,  on  the  Central  Railroad  ; 
sped  away  through  Atlanta  and  Augusta  to  Charleston  ;  tossed  a 
night  on  the  Atlantic,  crossed  the  pine-barrens  of  Carolina  and 
the  impoverished  fields  of  the  Old  Dominion  ;  halted  a  day  at 
Washington  to  deliver  dispatches  from  Mexico,  a  day  at  HOME,  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  finally  reached  my  old  working-desk  in  the  Tri 
bune  Office  on  the  night  of  March  10th — just  eight  months  and 
eight  days  from  the  time  of  my  departure. 

Thus  closed  a  journey  more  novel  and  adventurous  than  any  I 
hope  to  make  again.  I  trust  the  profit  of  it  has  not  been  wholly 
mine,  but  that  the  reader  who  has  followed  me  through  the  fore 
going  pages,  may  find  some  things  in  them,  which  to  have  read 
were  Dot  also  to  have  forgotten. 


/  n 


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